VERSAILLES  AND  THE  TRIANONS 


VERSAILLES 

AND  THE 
TRIANONS 


BY 

PIERRE   DE    NOLHAC 

DIRECTOR  OF  THE  VERSAILLES  MUSEUM 

ILLUSTRATED  IN  COLOR  BY 

RENE    BINET 


NEW    YORK 

DODD,  MEAD  &  COMPANY 
1906 


COPYRIGHT,  1906 
BY  DODD,  MEAD  AND  COMPANY 

Published  October,  1906 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  I 

VERSAILLES  IN  HISTORY  AND  ART       .     .     ...    ...     .     Page    i 

CHAPTER  II 

THE  PALACE  AND  THE  APARTMENTS    .     .     v    ...     .       "      39 

CHAPTER  III 

THE  MUSEUM  OF  FRENCH  HISTORY  .      .     ...     .     .      "     109 

CHAPTER  IV 
THE  GARDEN  OF  VERSAILLES -.  "     147 

CHAPTER  V 
THE  COURT  AND  THE  FETES  OF  VERSAILLES     .       .       "    238 

CHAPTER  VI 
How  Louis  XIV.  SPENT  His  DAY  AT  VERSAILLES: 

His  HABITS  AND  His  CHARACTER "     284 

CHAPTER  VII 
THE  GRAND  TRIANON "    326 

CHAPTER  VIII 
THE  PETIT  TRIANON "374 


2029183 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

THE  PALACE  OF  VERSAILLES Page     7 

HAMLET  OF  THE  PETIT  TRIANON "       13 

THE  GREAT  GALLERY,  OR  GALERIE  DES  GLACES    .      .  "       21 

THE  ANTEROOM  KNOWN  AS  THE  OEiL  DE  BCEUF  .  "27 

CENTRAL  FACADE,  FRONTING  THE  PARTERRE  D'£AU  "       35 

THE  PALACE  FROM  THE  SOUTHERN  PARTERRE     .      .  "43 

ROYAL  COURT  WITH  STATUE  OF  Louis  XIV.     .      .  "49 

THE  STEPS  OF  LATONA "       55 

THE  BASIN  OF  LATONA "      61 

THE  GROVE  OF  THE  COLONNADE "67 

THE  GATEWAY  OF  THE  PALACE,  AND  THE  GRAND 

STABLES         "       73 

THE  NORTHERN  PARTERRE  AND  THE  CHAPEL     .     .  "79 

THE  CHAPEL "       85 

THE  "  DYING  GAUL  " "      gi 

THE   SALON  OF  PEACE "      97 

THE  WALK  OF  CERES "103 

STATUE  OF  GENERAL  HOCHE "113 

THE  KING'S  GARDEN "119 

CHURCH  OF  NOTRE  DAME  AT  VERSAILLES     ...  "125 

Louis  XV/s  LIBRARY "131 

ARCHWAY  IN  THE  GALERIE  DES  GLACES    .     .     .     .  "     137 

THE  MARBLE  STAIRCASE "     143 

FLIGHT  OF  STEPS,  NORTHERN  PARTERRE    .     .     .     .  "151 

THE  LABYRINTH.    STATUE  OF  MINERVA  ....  "     157 

GARDEN  OF  THE  PETIT  TRIANON "163 

vii 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

BRONZE  AMORISE  IN  THE  ALLEE  D'£AU     ....  Page  169 

THE  ALLEE  D'EAU "     175 

FOUNTAIN  AT  THE  GRAND  TRIANON "     181 

CHOIR  OF  THE  CHAPEL "     187 

BASIN  OF  LATONA "    .193 

CAFFIERI'S  CLOCK "     199 

BRONZE  GROUP  ON  THE  PARTERRE  D'£AU      ....  "    205 

ALTAR  IN  THE  CHAPEL "211 

PETIT  TRIANON        "217 

PETIT  TRIANON.    THE  FLOWER  GARDEN       ..."    223 

THE  LAWN.     (TAPIS  VERT) "    229 

Louis  XV. 's  INNER  SITTING-ROOM "    235 

MADAME  ADELAIDE'S  DRAWING-ROOM       ....  "    243 

THE  DAUPHIN'S  SITTING-ROOM "    249 

GRAND  TRIANON "    255 

PETIT  TRIANON.    FLOWER  GARDEN "261 

THE  BASIN  OF  APOLLO "    267 

BASIN  OF  NEPTUNE "    273 

PARTERRE  OF  LATONA "    279 

PETIT   TRIANON "    291 

PETIT  TRIANON.    THE  ORANGERY "    299 

THE  MARBLE  COURT "     307 

THE  SOUTHERN  PARTERRE "317 

THE  PARTERRE  D'£AU "     327 

THE  PALACE  FROM  THE  SOUTHERN  PARTERRE     .     .  "     337 

SOUTHERN  PARTERRE "     345 

THE  CAR  OF  APOLLO  AT  SUNSET "351 

THE  GRAND  STABLES "     359 

THE  BASIN  OF  LATONA "     365 

THE  PARTERRE  OF  LATONA "    375 


Chapter 

VERSAILLES   IN    HISTORY   AND  ART 

VERSAILLES  fills  so  large  a  place  in  the 
traditions  of  the  French  nation  and  in  the 
history  of  its  art  that  it  behoves  the  for- 
eigner to  acquire  an  accurate  idea  of  it,  and 
to  visit  it  with  care  and  attention.     It  is  necessary  to 
know  Versailles  thoroughly,  with  its  palace,  its  gar- 
dens, and  its  memories,  if  one  wishes  to  understand 
the  facts  of  the  political  and  artistic  pre-eminence  of 
France  during  one  period  of  her  old  regime. 

The  visitor  who  comes  to  this  famous  spot  for  the 
first  time  should,  in  order  to  obtain  a  vivid  and  true 
impression  of  it,  avoid  the  town  itself  as  far  as  possi- 
ble, and  approach  the  Palace  through  the  parks  that 
are  on  that  side.  If  he  wishes  to  have  a  complete 
idea  of  the  place  he  should  be  careful  first  to  make 
the  round  of  the  Palace  and  gardens  without  enter- 
ing them,  and  then,  approaching  by  the  St.  Cyr 
road,  for  instance,  or  from  the  Trianon  direction, 
enter  the  gardens  at  their  furthest  point  on  the  west- 


VERSAILLES 

era  side,  through  the  gates  that  are  near  the  Grand 
Canal.  He  will  thus  have  followed  all  the  roads 
through  the  wide  avenues  and  glades  of  the  great 
park  of  former  days,  avenues  and  glades  that  have 
been  preserved  in  the  heart  of  the  woods  that  once 
heralded  the  approach  of  a  royal  residence.  When 
the  visitor  leaves  his  carriage,  and  stands  at  the 
gates  of  the  magnificent  garden,  he  will  find  that 
there  is  no  recent  building,  no  sign  of  modern  civili- 
sation visible,  to  divert  his  thoughts  from  the  insistent 
memories  of  an  older  day;  he  can  imagine  himself 
to  be  approaching  a  domain  of  the  past  that  has 
never  suffered  change. 

By  the  basin  in  which  the  great  trees  are  reflected, 
where  the  Car  of  Apollo  and  the  Horses  of  the  Sun 
rise  above  the  waters,  the  long  line  of  the  Royal 
Avenue  opens  out.  The  eye  follows  its  double  row 
of  statues  and  its  grass  plots,  and  rising  step  by  step, 
catches  at  last  a  straitened  glimpse  of  the  outline 
of  the  Palace  among  the  foliage.  One  can  dis- 
tinguish fairly  well  from  here  the  windows  of  the 
Galerie  des  Glaces,  upon  which  the  setting  sun 
glows  every  evening  fantastically.  And  the  path 
along  which  the  eye  has  darted  in  an  instant  may 
be  traversed  on  foot  in  a  few  minutes — among  the 
flower-beds,  or  under  the  high  arches  of  the  trees, 
towards  the  terrace,  behind  which  the  half  seen 


IN    HISTORY   AND   ART 

building  is  gradually  hidden  and  at  last  disappears 
altogether. 

Suddenly,  when  one  has  mounted  the  staircase 
of  Latona,  the  whole  mass  of  the  building  comes  into 
view  in  its  entire  length  and  in  much  its  most  im- 
posing aspect.  The  centre  of  the  Palace,  where  the 
royal  apartments  were,  projects  in  a  strong,  square 
mass,  the  effect  of  which  is  lightened  by  colonnades 
and  a  quantity  of  sculpture ;  on  each  side  an  immense 
wing  extends,  repeating,  a  hundred  paces  further 
back,  the  plan  of  this  noble  design,  and  the  pointed 
roof  of  the  chapel  is  the  only  interruption  to  the 
monotony  of  the  lines.  To  the  right  they  end  in  a 
projection,  above  a  distant  horizon;  to  the  left  they 
are  merged  in  the  lofty  heights  of  the  trees,  which 
thus  seem  to  carry  on  the  majestic  effect  of  the  archi- 
tecture. 

This  is  the  spot  where  one  may  see  at  a  glance, 
in  its  almost  unaltered  glory  and  in  its  perfect 
unity,  the  most  famous  dwelling-place  of  the  Mon- 
archy, designed  by  King  Louis  XIV.  to  serve  as  the 
symbol  of  his  reign  and  the  monument  of  his 
greatness. 

In  this  way  one  may  secure  a  preliminary  lesson 
from  history,  and  at  the  same  time  enjoy  a  first  im- 
pression of  the  dominating  beauty  of  this  building 
that  can  never  be  effaced.  If  one  has  the  time,  one 

[3] 


VERSAILLES 

may  then  turn  one's  attention  to  the  details,  and  em- 
ploy months  and  years  in  learning  them,  by  reading 
the  books  that  have  been  written  by  experts  on  the 
period  of  the  former  Court,  and  on  French  artists 
of  the  past.  If  the  visitor  has  a  taste  for  architec- 
ture, or  sculpture,  or  decorative  painting,  he  may 
here  propound  and  solve  a  thousand  problems.  The 
interior  of  the  palace,  ravaged  by  endless  changes 
but  nevertheless  full  of  uninjured  relics  of  the  best 
periods,  will  give  him  the  most  fruitful  of  educa- 
tions. The  more  closely  he  can  fix  his  attention, 
and  the  oftener  he  can  repeat  his  visits,  the  greater 
number  of  interesting  works  he  will  find.  The 
documents  of  the  past — if  he  criticises  them  methodi- 
cally, rejecting  the  false  myths  that  are  collected  in 
so  many  works — will  re-create  for  him  the  most  bril- 
liant era  of  a  great  nation,  and  he  will  feel  that 
there  is  nowhere  that  the  past  can  be  brought  to 
life  more  vividly  than  in  the  decorations  of  Ver- 
sailles. 

The  double  attraction  of  art  and  history  gives  this 
Palace  a  rare  prestige;  a  prestige,  indeed,  that  might 
be  called  unique  if  it  were  not  for  the  existence 
of  the  Vatican.  There  is  no  princely  dwelling  in 
Europe  that  combines  so  many  glorious  and  interest- 
ing memories  in  a  setting  of  such  perfect  beauty. 
France,  who  for  a  long  time  despised  this  treasure, 

[4] 


IN    HISTORY   AND   ART 

as  she  squandered  so  many  others,  is  happy  to-day  in 
the  possession  of  it,  and  is  making  every  effort  to 
repair  the  effects  of  her  long  neglect.  This  work, 
which  is  the  synthesis  of  absolute  monarchy,  is  the 
one  that  this  nation — now  so  democratic — shows  to 
foreigners  with  the  greatest  pride.  There  is  none, 
in  any  other  place,  which  educated  men  of  all  coun- 
tries seek  with  a  more  lively  curiosity;  it  would  seem 
as  though  they  regarded  it,  in  some  respects,  as 
the  spot  most  characteristic  of  the  genius  of  this 
nation. 

It  was  a  movement  of  pride  that  prompted  Louis 
XIV.  to  build  Versailles,  when  he  had  reached  the 
zenith  of  his  power.  He  desired  to  have  the  most 
beautiful  and  the  most  splendid  dwelling  in  the 
world;  to  surpass  even  Italy,  where  hitherto  the 
finest  designs  in  architecture  had  been  found.  What- 
ever may  have  been  the  inspiring  thought  of  the 
founder,  the  remembrance  of  it  in  no  wise  changes 
our  judgment  of  the  achievement,  so  strong  and  so 
complete,  that  we  owe  to  Louis  XIV.  We  cannot 
even  deny  him  the  merit  of  having  conceived  it  him- 
self, and  of  having  determined  upon  the  form  its 
beauty  should  take.  The  greatest  glory  of  the 
Grand  Roi  is  derived  from  the  perfection  reached 
by  literature  during  his  century,  and  from  the  wealth 
of  artistic  production.  It  is  with  regard  to  the  latter 

m 


VERSAILLES 

that  the  master's  personal  influence  is  most  obvious 
and  most  undeniable. 

The  creation  of  Versailles  contributed  very  greatly 
to  that  prodigious  development  of  French  art,  which 
thenceforward  took  the  place  of  Italian  art  as  the 
director  of  taste  in  general,  So  many  artists — the 
best  in  every  line  of  art — united  in  the  same  work 
and  at  first  guided  by  the  illuminating  mind  of  Col- 
bert, so  many  marvels  accumulated  in  the  same  spot 
for  the  glorification  of  a  single  king  and  a  single 
nation,  so  much  genius  working  for  a  common  end, 
and  so  great  an  achievement  of  money  and  men,  made 
upon  the  mind  of  Europe  a  more  powerful  impres- 
sion than  any  victory  or  any  treaty!  And  the  in- 
fluence obtained  by  force  of  arms  was  more  lasting 
and  more  fruitful  because  of  it.  The  palaces  built 
in  imitation  of  Versailles  in  the  very  countries  where 
Louis  XIV.  was  hated  the  most,  such  as  Germany, 
bear  witness  to  the  admiration  inspired  by  this 
masterpiece  of  the  art  of  the  monarchy,  and  prove 
its  dominating  influence  over  the  minds  of  the 
day. 

After  having  suffered  for  long  years  from  un- 
measured contempt  and  disparagement,  Versailles 
has  once  more,  to  a  certain  extent,  taken  the  place 
in  the  national  imagination  that  it  formerly  held. 
This  mighty  artistic  creation  of  the  "  great  reign," 
[6] 


THE  PALACE  OF  VERSAI 


SIDE  FACING  THE  COURTS 


IN    HISTORY   AND   ART 

uninjured  by  the  following  reigns  as  regards  its 
principal  lines,  and  even  the  nineteenth  century — 
so  destructive  of  the  relics  of  France — is  at  last  under- 
stood as  it  deserves  to  be.  For  a  long  time  it  was 
less  favourably  judged. 

By  the  close  of  the  old  regime,  and  indeed  even 
in  the  time  of  Louis  XV.,  one  of  those  convulsions 
in  the  taste  of  the  French  nation  which  are  apt  in 
that  country  to  destroy  any  particular  form  of  ad- 
miration so  quickly,  had  attacked  a  work  whose  im- 
portance should  have  held  it  secure  from  the  caprices 
of  fashion.  In  the  time  of  Marie  Antoinette,  Le 
Petit  Trianon,  with  its  delicate  decoration  and  its 
"  English  "  garden,  was  contrasted  with  Versailles 
by  the  writers  and  intelligent  people  of  the  day,  and 
helped  to  make  it  despised.  The  theories  of  the 
French  Revolution  tended  to  bring  contempt  upon 
Versailles  and  upon  the  art  that  had  conceived  it. 
The  romantic  period,  whose  aesthetic  principles  were 
so  impassioned  and  so  narrow,  finally  brought  both 
into  complete  disrepute.  The  famous  verses  of  Al- 
fred de  Musset  are  sufficient  evidence  as  to  the 
opinion  of  his  contemporaries  with  regard  to  "  the 
tiresome  park  of  Versailles."  Large  parts  of  the 
building,  such  as  the  Great  Gallery  of  Mansart  and 
Le  Brun,  excited  amazement  rather  than  interest. 
The  art  of  Louis  XIV.'s  day  seemed  to  be  dead,  to- 

[9] 


VERSAILLES 

gether  with  the  institutions  that  had  produced  it; 
and  a  still  greater  degree  of  indifference  enshrouded 
that  charming,  graceful,  vivid  art  that  had  come  in 
the  eighteenth  century  to  rejuvenate  and  adorn  with 
its  woodwork  and  its  bronzes  the  grave  dignity  of 
the  royal  dwellings. 

One  boon  that  our  eclectic  education  has  given  us 
is  that  in  our  day  we  are  able  to  admire  and  to  under- 
stand with  equal  insight  the  principles  of  the  most 
different  styles  of  beauty,  and  of  manifestations  of 
creative  power  which  seem  to  contradict  one  another. 
With  regard  to  architecture,  who  would  refuse  his 
admiration  to  the  Parthenon  at  Athens,  or  to  the 
church  of  St.  Sophia,  or  to  the  great  Gothic  cathe- 
drals? These,  certainly,  are  works  of  a  superior  order 
to  Versailles,  in  virtue  of  the  object  for  which  they 
were  built,  if  for  no  other  reason,  seeing  that  they 
do  honour  to  God,  and  reveal  Him  to  men.  The 
Palace  of  Louis  XIV.  testifies  only  to  the  power  of 
a  monarch  and  of  a  political  regime.  But  it  ex- 
presses this  with  sufficient  clearness  and  in  an  artistic 
language  of  sufficient  brilliancy  to  enable  one  to 
take  pleasure  in  it,  even  after  having  paid  intelligent 
homage  to  works  of  human  genius  that  are  infinitely 
nobler.  The  Beautiful,  it  is  true,  has  not  the  same 
strength  here,  and  does  not  create  the  same  enjoy- 
ment, but  it  nevertheless  in  a  certain  measure  opens 

[10] 


IN    HISTORY   AND  ART 

the  sluice-gates  of  enthusiasm.  Like  other  famous 
corners  of  the  earth,  Versailles  has  become,  for  many 
of  our  contemporaries,  one  of  the  goals  of  artistic 
pilgrimage.  Many  talented  minds  find  here  a  kind 
of  moral  support;  artists  of  the  first  rank  come  hither 
to  seek  for  methods  and  models,  and  the  poets — and 
this  is  significant — are  again  finding  inspiration 
here. 

What  are  the  causes,  we  may  ask,  of  this  reversion 
of  the  popular  taste,  of  which  there  are  so  many 
signs?  The  causes  are  principally  two,  of  which 
one  rests  entirely  on  sentiment,  while  the  other  is 
of  a  more  intellectual  order.  First,  then,  every  one 
can  see  that  one  of  the  least  contested  beauties  of 
Versailles  lies  in  the  silence  of  its  great  spaces,  and 
in  the  already  venerable  appearance  of  its  buildings. 
And  the  more  the  absence  of  the  rush  of  modern  life 
makes  itself  felt  the  greater  is  the  pleasure  to  be 
derived  from  invoking  the  splendours  of  the  past, 
and  the  easier  it  is  to  do  so.  This  invocation  of 
the  past,  which  is  one  of  the  subtlest  pleasures  of  the 
mind,  is  within  the  reach  of  the  humblest  of  the 
people,  and  inspires  in  them  a  feeling  of  emotion 
which,  unconscious  of  it  though  they  be,  is  not  with- 
out its  element  of  truth  and  of  nobility.  With 
artists,  and  people  of  some  measure  of  culture,  this 
pleasure  attains  its  highest  degree,  which  is  only  ex- 


VERSAILLES 

perienced  by  those  who  have  devoted  to  Versailles, 
not  merely  the  hurried  days  of  the  tourist,  but  the 
prolonged  leisure  of  quiet  weeks. 

There  are  few  towns  that  bring  the  great  revo- 
lutions of  history  more  vividly  before  us.  It  seems 
as  though  the  destructive  forces  that  were  raging 
for  nearly  a  century,  owing  to  the  indifference  of 
some  and  the  very  deliberate  blunders  of  others,  had 
increased  the  value  of  such  places  as  have  remained 
intact.  At  every  turn  the  imaginative  mind  may 
find  cause  for  emotion.  A  king  is  visible  in  the 
apotheosis  of  the  Grand  Gallery,  in  spite  of  the  fact 
that  there  is  nothing  left  of  the  marvellous  furni- 
ture of  silver  and  enamel  that  once  adorned  it.  In 
the  same  way  Trianon  is  filled  with  the  memory  of 
a  Queen,  a  memory  that  will  never  vanish  from  the 
little  houses  of  the  crumbling  hamlet  until  the  day 
when  necessity  or  caprice  shall  undertake  to  rebuild 
them.  If  we  are  prepared  to  mistrust  the  accepted 
myths  we  may  follow  the  history  of  three  reigns  step 
by  step,  detail  by  detail,  throughout  this  noble  de- 
mesne of  Versailles,  which  is  made  so  complete  by 
the  Grand  Trianon  of  Louis  XIV.  and  the  Petit 
Trianon  of  Marie  Antoinette.  The  essential  por- 
tions of  the  decorations  are  still  there,  while  the 
memories  of  the  Grand  Siecle,  and  the  still  more 
exciting  and  graphic  stories  of  the  eighteenth  cen- 
[12] 


HAMLET  OF  THE   PETIT  TRIANON  :     THE  QUEEN'S  HEAD 


IN    HISTORY   AND   ART 

tury,  bring  back  for  us  the  men  and  women  of  the 
past,  and  make  them  live  again. 

The  other  cause  that  has  replaced  Versailles  in 
its  old  position  of  honour  exists  only  for  really  cul- 
tivated minds,  but  seems  no  less  likely  to  endure. 
It  is  only  now  that  any  just  idea  is  being  formed  of  the 
place  occupied  in  the  history  of  art  by  that  united 
whole,  so  complete  and  yet  so  imposing  in  extent, 
that  we  may  name  "  the  Art  of  Versailles."  For  a 
long  time  it  was  called  in  question  on  account  of  its 
symmetry,  its  want  of  spontaneity,  its  stiff  pomposity. 
But  the  qualities  that  were  taken  for  intolerable 
faults  have  changed  their  names,  to  suit  the  altera- 
tion in  the  point  of  view  of  taste.  It  is  now  recog- 
nised that  the  building,  as  a  whole,  as  well  as  the 
details  that  adorn  it,  show  all  the  merits  of  balance, 
proportion,  and  dignity.  It  is  of  course  allowable 
to  prefer  other  qualities  to  these;  it  may  be  thought 
that  they  tend  to  hold  creative  imagination  in  check; 
but  it  is  a  fact  that  they  represent  the  essential  char- 
acteristics of  French  art. 

This  representative  value  deserves  to  be  noted 
above  all  others.  It  is  proportionately  similar  to 
the  value  attached  to  the  best  French  cathedrals  of 
the  thirteenth  century.  The  seventeenth  century, 
which  endowed  Paris  and  the  provinces  with  such 
noble  monuments — so  greatly  honoured  to-day — 

[•si 


VERSAILLES 

seems  to  be  epitomised  in  the  dwelling  of  Louis 
XIV.  All  the  great  artists  who  were  his  contem- 
poraries collaborated  in  this  work,  which  aimed  at 
the  glorification  of  the  national  monarchy.  Side  by 
side  with  Le  Brun,  or  under  his  orders,  worked  archi- 
tects, sculptors,  painters,  smelters,  carvers,  and  deco- 
rators of  all  kinds,  of  whom  some  had  genius,  but 
who,  considering  the  influence  under  which  they 
worked,  might  have  done  very  well  with  mere  techni- 
cal skill.  The  Palace  and  its  gardens  are  full  of 
their  masterpieces.  We  may  regret  that  the  academ- 
ical school,  in  which  the  inspiration  of  our  artists 
became  congealed  later  on,  should  have  drawn  some 
of  the  elements  of  its  aesthetic  principles  from  Ver- 
sailles; but  it  would  be  more  just  to  ask  ourselves 
what  would  be  lacking  to  the  self-expression  of  the 
French  race,  and  to  its  legacy  of  national  art,  if 
Versailles  had  disappeared. 

An  attentive  study  of  the  different  parts  of  Ver- 
sailles will  bring  to  light,  beneath  that  appearance 
of  unity  that  is  revealed  at  the  first  glance,  many 
variations  of  the  style  of  the  seventeenth  century,  and 
periods  that  have  many  points  of  difference  may  be 
distinguished  in  the  creations  of  this  long  reign, 
which  it  is  too  much  our  custom  to  criticise  as  a 
whole. 

The  style  of  the  original  house,  a  simple  hunting- 
[16] 


IN    HISTORY   AND   ART 

box  of  Louis  XIII. 's,  of  which  some  walls  are  still 
existing,  determined  the  character  of  the  oldest 
buildings  of  Louis  XIV.  The  latter  are  thus  closely 
allied  to  the  traditions  of  the  French  Renaissance. 
The  first  palace  of  the  young  King,  the  one  to  which 
he  came  to  amuse  Mademoiselle  de  la  Valliere,  the 
one  that  La  Fontaine  described  poetically  in  Les 
Amours  de  Psyche,  what  was  it  but  one  of  the 
prettiest  chateaux  of  the  Renaissance?  The  Ver- 
sailles of  the  celebrated  fetes,  as  it  still  stood  in  1668, 
of  which  the  greater  part,  indeed,  had  been  built 
by  Louis  XIII.,  showed  a  style  of  art  that  was  by 
no  means  freed  from  earlier  forms.  And,  by  a  co- 
incidence, the  King's  power  was  not  yet  as  wide- 
spread and  as  strong  as  it  was  destined  to  become 
through  the  Treaty  of  Aix-la-Chapelle  and  during 
the  following  years. 

It  was  in  truth  a  fairy  palace  that  rose  then  upon 
the  still  narrow  slope,  a  palace  all  brightness  and 
colour,  with  its  facades  of  red  brick,  its  balconies  of 
wrought  iron,  its  high,  white  chimneys,  its  pin- 
nacles, and  the  gilded  leads  of  its  pointed  roofs. 
Round  the  new  royal  dwelling,  it  is  true,  there  were 
at  first  no  wide  steps,  nor  gushing  fountains,  nor 
marble  figures,  and  the  space  where  the  noble  lines 
of  the  Grand  Canal  came  into  being  later  on  was  for 
a  long  time  merely  a  marshy  plain.  But  King  Louis 


VERSAILLES 

XIV.  had  the  good  fortune  to  find  a  gardener  with 
a  sense  of  grandeur:  Andre  Le  Notre  at  the  very 
first  traced  out  the  general  design  of  the  gardens 
of  the  future.  The  greater  number  of  the  shrub- 
beries were  cut  out  of  the  underwood  of  Louis 
XIII. 's  former  hunting-grounds;  enormous  basins 
were  hollowed  out  in  the  low-lying  places  and 
were  gradually  filled  with  bubbling  water;  a  little 
later  groups  of  figures  in  gilded  lead  were  placed 
in  the  centre  of  these  basins,  contrasting  strikingly 
with  their  stone  edges  as  they  stood  at  the  borders 
of  the  copses;  an  "embroidered  flower-bed"  of  a 
new  design  was  laid  out  in  front  of  the  building,  and 
a  little  orangery  completed  the  picturesque  appear- 
ance of  the  Palace  on  its  southern  side  by  the  mingled 
bricks  and  stone  of  its  arcades. 

This  first  structure,  itself  celebrated  as  a  marvel- 
lous creation,  was  succeeded  by  a  second  Versailles, 
and  our  praise  is  due  to  the  same  architect  in  both 
cases.  It  was  the  architect  Le  Vau  who,  without  de- 
stroying it,  surrounded  the  little  palace  by  the  three 
facades  facing  the  gardens,  and  so  conceived  the 
general  design  of  the  building  that  those  who  came 
after  him  had  merely  to  develop  it.  The  Grand 
Apartments  and  the  Ambassadors'  Staircase  were 
begun  at  this  period.  It  was  at  this  time,  too,  that 
the  first  artists  of  the  day  initiated  the  symbolism 
[18] 


IN    HISTORY   AND   ART 

by  which  the  decoration  of  Versailles,  both  in  the 
painting  and  sculpture  of  the  interior  and  in  the 
subjects  represented  by  the  principal  fountains,  was 
a  perpetual  source  of  flattery  and  of  allusion  to  the 
Roi  Soleil.  Versailles  grew  with  the  King's  power: 
Louis  by  this  time  had  vanquished  Spain  and 
the  Empire,  and  was  the  conqueror  of  Tranche 
Comte.  His  favourite  palace  symbolized  his  tri- 
umphs. 

Another  Versailles — the  third  already — was  the 
work  of  Mansart  Mansart  must  yield  the  first 
place  in  our  remembrance  to  Le  Vau,  since  his 
superintendence  began  only  in  1678;  but  his  name, 
more  than  any  other,  was  destined  to  be  associated 
with  the  new  town,  on  account  of  the  enormous  mass 
of  buildings  that  he  created  there  in  the  course  of 
a  few  years.  He  began  by  making  the  Grand  Gal- 
lery, and  adding,  on  the  south  side  of  the  Palace, 
the  first  of  the  two  long  wings  necessary  for  the  ac- 
commodation of  the  Court.  And  what  was  the  rea- 
son for  these  immense  alterations,  this  incredible 
magnificence?  The  reason  was  that  the  fate  of  the 
youngest  of  Royal  Houses  was  forcing  it  to  play 
a  part  for  which  the  little  chateau  de  plaisirs 
formed  an  unsuitable  background.  The  King,  as 
he  became  more  and  more  engrossed  in  this  work 
of  his,  wished  to  make  it  the  central  point  of  his 

[19] 


VERSAILLES 

power,  the  spot  where  all  Europe  should  be  forced 
to  admire  the  dazzling  rays  of  the  royal  sun  in  all 
its  brilliancy. 

The  installation  of  the  Court  and  the  Govern- 
ment in  1682  is  the  most  important  date  in  the  his- 
tory of  Versailles.  Mansart's  plan  was  then  adopted 
in  its  essential  parts,  though  it  was  not  to  be  realised 
all  at  once.  After  the  Grand  Stables  and  the  Little 
Stables  were  built  the  Grand  Offices, — an  annexe  to 
Versailles, — the  north  wing,  and  the  new  orangery, 
which  involved  the  remodelling  of  a  great  part  of 
the  gardens.  The  rebuilding  of  Trianon  was  also 
Mansart's  work,  as  well  as  the  design  of  the  beauti- 
ful chapel,  which  was  only  finished  in  1710,  five 
years  before  the  death  of  Louis  XIV.  The  Chapel 
was  the  last  work  of  the  dying  reign,  which  seemed 
as  though  it  would  fain  end  by  an  act  of  homage 
to  God  its  unparalleled  series  of  labours  devoted  to 
the  apotheosis  of  a  man. 

This  majestic  ornament  of  the  "  great  reign  "  then, 
did  not  grow  all  at  once  into  the  building  we  admire 
in  its  melancholy  solitude.  The  various  palaces  of 
Versailles,  as  revealed  to  us  by  prints  and  old  for- 
gotten pictures,  were,  so  to  speak,  the  first  attempts, 
the  rough  drafts,  of  the  final  work,  corresponding 
to  the  progress  of  the  royal  power.  Every  part  of 
the  Palace  and  the  gardens  was  destroyed  in  its 

[20] 


THE  GREAT  GALLERY,  OR  GALERIE   DES  GLACES 


IN    HISTORY   AND  ART 

turn,  but  only  to  be  restored  in  a  more  beautiful 
form  in  accordance  with  the  master's  dream,  ever 
growing  more  ambitious. 

The  restitution  of  these  vanished  conditions  of  the 
past  forms  the  true  history  of  royal  Versailles.  This 
history  is  comparable  to  that  of  a  living  organism, 
which  grows  and  develops  in  accordance  with  its 
increasing  needs,  modifying  itself  continually  in 
order  to  adapt  itself  to  fresh  circumstances.  Noth- 
ing is  easier  than  to  make  this  plain  by  comparing 
with  each  other  the  successive  plans  of  the  Palace 
and  its  surroundings  during  the  reign  of  Louis  XIV. 
One  can  see  the  spaces  widening,  the  buildings  mul- 
tiplying, and  the  size  of  everything  that  disappears 
being  increased  threefold  and  fourfold  when  it  is 
replaced. 

Each  political  period  leaves  its  own  special 
mark  in  the  form  of  some  important  change  in 
the  building  as  a  whole.  And  if,  after  the  death  of 
the  Grand  Roi,  the  external  lines  seem  to  change  no 
more,  the  vital  principle  is  no  less  active,  for  the 
royal  owners  of  the  Palace  in  the  eighteenth  century 
altered  the  interior  arrangements  to  suit  their  own 
habits  and  their  diminished  prestige.  Towards  the 
end,  indeed,  the  Palace  seemed  too  large  in  pro- 
portion. 

May  we  not  say  that  the  eighteenth  century  created 

[23] 


VERSAILLES 

a  fourth  Versailles?  This  would  be  false  if  we  were 
concerned  with  the  structure  alone,  which  remained 
externally  the  same;  but  it  is  true  if  we  consider 
the  enormous  renovations  that  took  place  within 
the  Palace.  The  Salon  of  Hercules,  which  recalls 
the  name  of  an  excellent  architect,  Robert  de  Cotte, 
was  built  by  order  of  Louis  XV. ;  and  at  the  end  of 
his  reign  arose  the  great  Opera  Hall,  one  of  the  finest 
achievements  of  Gabriel.  On  the  other  hand,  this 
king  destroyed,  to  suit  his  personal  convenience, 
some  very  important  parts  of  the  old  building,  the 
Little  Gallery,  painted  by  Mignard,  and  the  enor- 
mous Ambassadors'  Staircase;  he  changed  and  cut 
up  the  apartments  that  were  formerly  Louis  XIV.'s 
private  rooms,  and  he  modified  in  accordance  with 
the  new  style  all  the  other  apartments  of  the  royal 
family  and  the  Court.  This  radical  transformation 
of  Versailles  in  the  eighteenth  century  was  not  the 
work  of  a  few  years  only;  the  most  important  parts 
of  it  were  spread  over  the  long  reign  of  Louis  XV., 
and  to  a  small  extent  over  that  of  Louis  XVI.  In 
fact,  the  arrangement  of  the  interior  of  the  Palace, 
as  it  appears  to  us  to-day,  is  not  that  of  Louis  XIV.'s 
time.  If  the  state  rooms  date  for  the  most  part  from 
the  seventeenth  century,  all  the  rest,  all  that  remains 
of  the  private  dwelling  of  the  King,  the  Queen, 
the  Dauphin,  and  the  children  of  France,  pre- 

[24] 


IN    HISTORY   AND  ART 

sents  the  appearance  that  was  given  to  it  in  the  eigh- 
teenth. 

Louis  XV.  would  have  liked  to  destroy  all  the 
central  part  of  the  side  that  faced  the  courts  in  Louis 
XIV.'s  building.  The  architects,  indeed,  had  been 
suffering  for  a  long  time  from  the  want  of  balance 
between  the  little  chateau  of  brick  that  had  been 
preserved  on  this  side,  and  the  splendid,  regal  fa- 
c,ades  that  faced  the  park.  Mansart  had  already 
proposed  to  cover  up  the  entrance  by  way  of  the  col- 
onnades, if  no  more.  In  the  eighteenth  century  a 
plan  of  general  reconstruction  was  adopted,  which 
was  necessarily  in  the  Greco-Roman  style  then  so 
fashionable.  The  partial  execution  of  this  project 
produced  the  unfortunate  wing  with  the  pillars, 
called  "  Gabriel's  wing,"  after  Louis  XV.'s  great 
architect.  This  is  the  heavy  structure  that  hides  the 
chapel,  and  was  provided  with  a  pendant  by  the  first 
Empire  in  the  form  of  another  pavilion  with  pillars. 
We  must  be  careful  to  remember  that  these  wings, 
the  effect  of  which  is  so  bad  as  one  approaches  from 
the  Paris  side,  did  not  appear  in  the  original  design. 
They  are  mere  indications,  first  steps  in  the  entire 
reconstruction  of  the  Palace  on  a  new  plan,  a  plan 
which  would  no  doubt  have  had  a  dignity  of  its  own, 
but  would  have  involved  the  disappearance  of  the 
oldest  parts  of  the  Palace,  that  graceful  "  Marble 


VERSAILLES 

Court "  in  white  and  pink  that  one  is  so  glad  to  see 
preserved. 

At  this  same  period  the  park  of  Versailles  was 
entirely  replanted;  other  alterations  were  projected, 
and  more  than  one  old  grove  of  trees  seemed  to  be 
in  danger.  As  in  the  case  of  the  Palace  the  want  of 
funds  prevented  the  carrying  out  of  these  common- 
place and  destructive  designs,  and  it  may  be  that  we 
owe  the  preservation  of  Louis  XIV. 's  gardens,  as 
well  as  that  of  the  most  ancient  parts  of  the  Palace, 
to  the  Revolution  and  the  transfer  of  the  Govern- 
ment to  Paris. 

After  the  disappearance  of  the  Monarchy,  which 
made  it  a  centre  of  artistic  production,  the  history 
of  Versailles  has  no  longer  the  same  attraction.  Na- 
poleon, however,  who  sometimes  stayed  at  the  Grand 
Trianon,  did  not  despise  the  most  famous  demesne 
of  the  old  regime;  he  had  dreams  of  making  use  of  it 
and  of  living  there,  and  he  gave  orders  for  a  great  deal 
of  work.  Restorations  were  begun,  too,  under  Louis 
XVIII.,  who  had  a  fleeting  intention  in  1819  of 
returning  to  the  demesne  where  he  had  passed  his 
youth  as  Comte  de  Provence.  We  shall  speak  pres- 
ently of  the  occasion  on  which  King  Louis  Philippe 
conceived  the  idea  of  making  use  of  the  finally 
deserted  Palace,  by  devoting  it,  in  the  form  of  a 
museum,  "  to  all  the  glories  of  France."  This  was 

[26] 


If 


ANTEROOM,  KNOWN  AS  THE  CEIL  DE  BCEUF 


IN    HISTORY   AND   ART 

a  colossal  historical  collection,  gathered  together  at 
the  King's  expense,  and  designed  to  give  to  gen- 
erations to  come  a  representation  of  the  great  deeds 
and  great  men  of  the  nation. 

The  inevitable  mistakes  made  in  the  carrying  out 
of  this  vast  design  for  a  museum  were  compara- 
tively unimportant,  since  it  was  possible  by  the  end 
of  the  nineteenth  century  to  rectify  them,  and  to 
complete  this  interesting  idea,  The  same  cannot  be 
said,  however,  for  the  destruction  that  was  involved 
within  the  building  by  Louis  XVIII.'s  undertaking: 
the  profanations,  the  useless  vandalisms,  the  unin- 
telligent sacrifice  of  ancient  art,  and  sometimes  its 
preservation  in  the  wrong  place!  Admirable  ex- 
amples of  decorative  art,  scattered  through  the  un- 
used apartments,  were  mutilated  unscrupulously 
and  callously  dispersed,  as  the  sumptuous  furniture 
of  the  Palace  had  been  during  the  revolutionary  sales. 
This  irreparable  loss  is  felt  more  forcibly  every  day, 
in  proportion  to  our  increasing  love  and  respect  for 
the  art  of  the  past. 

We  feel  compelled  nowadays  to  pass  a  severe 
judgment  upon  Louis  Philippe,  and  we  are  hardly 
excusing  him  when  we  say  that  he  shared  the  taste 
of  nearly  all  his  contemporaries.  He  merely  put 
in  practice  the  contempt  that  most  people  professed 
at  that  time  for  eighteenth-century  art,  with  which 

[29] 


VERSAILLES 

the  rooms  of  Versailles  were  filled.  To  be  just  to 
every  one,  we  must  remember  that  this  great  unin- 
habited palace,  in  which  a  king  who  owed  his  posi- 
tion to  the  new  democracy  could  not  dream  of  living, 
would  have  been  devoted,  in  a  utilitarian  century,  to 
uses  that  would  certainly  have  been  destructive 
and  might  well  have  been  degrading.  If  Louis 
Philippe,  by  destroying  too  much,  injured  Ver- 
sailles in  a  way  that  we  must  always  deplore,  he 
assuredly  saved  it  from  worse  disasters;  he  at  least 
secured  that  it  should  be  preserved  to  the  country 
in  the  only  way  that  was  worthy  of  it — by  fulfilling 
the  noble  functions  of  a  national  museum  that  should 
never  change. 

An  epoch  nearer  our  own  devoted  certain  parts 
of  the  chateau,  which  are  not  occupied  by  the 
museum,  to  uses  that  were  certainly  unforeseen  for 
Louis  XIV.'s  Palace.  From  1871  to  1878  Versailles 
once  more  became  the  seat  of  the  French  Govern- 
ment, after  the  Franco-German  War.  And  in  the 
present  day,  in  accordance  with  the  Republican 
Constitution  of  1875,  trie  Palace  is  nominally  the 
House  of  Parliament.  This  latest  role,  which  we 
only  remember  nowadays  on  the  occasion  of  elect- 
ing a  President  of  the  Republic,  involved  consider- 
able rearrangement.  Louis  XV.'s  beautiful  Opera 
House,  after  having  been  used  for  the  sittings  of  the 

[30] 


IN    HISTORY   AND   ART 

Assembly  of  1871,  was  reserved  for  the  Senate,  who 
have  not  been  seen  there  for  the  last  twenty  years; 
and  for  the  Chamber  and  meetings  of  the  Congress 
an  enormous  new  hall  has  been  built  in  one  of  the 
South  Courts. 

Meanwhile  the  park  and  the  fagades  of  the  Palace 
were  falling  into  ruins.  Public  opinion  was  roused, 
and  as  the  popular  taste  was  becoming  more  and 
more  in  favour  of  the  beauties  of  Versailles,  the  State 
decided  to  carry  out  important  restorations  in  the 
body  of  the  building.  This  indispensable  under- 
taking, which  has  restored  some  of  the  finest  planta- 
tions and  some  famous  effects  of  water,  and  has  been 
extended  as  far  as  the  two  Trianons,  is  not  yet  alto- 
gether completed  and  is  being  carried  on  energeti- 
cally. About  three  million  francs  have  already  been 
spent  upon  it. 

It  appears  unlikely  that  the  chateau  should 
undergo  any  notable  alterations  for  many  years  to 
come.  It  still  lends  itself,  to  a  certain  extent,  to  the 
celebration  of  fetes,  which  have  not  been  wanting  in 
the  course  of  the  nineteenth  century,  though  it  is  true 
that  these  can  only  recall  by  mortifying  comparisons 
the  brilliancy  of  those  of  the  old  regime.  But  the 
interest  of  Versailles  is  concerned  with  more  dig- 
nified matters,  and  is  of  permanent  educational  value. 
Setting  aside  the  historical  collections,  in  which  so 
[3'] 


VERSAILLES 

many  precious  memories  are  gathered  together,  the 
Palace,  its  gardens,  and  its  Trianons  form  a  museum 
of  decorative  art  such  as  can  be  seen  nowhere  else 
in  the  world.  This,  above  everything  else,  must  be 
made  plain.  We  should  arrive  at  this  truth  more 
easily  if  we  could  give  life  to  these  beautiful  deserted 
rooms  by  replacing  in  them  a  part  of  the  artistic 
furniture  of  the  State.  Their  wainscotting,  which 
is  still  intact,  demands  the  furniture  of  our  three 
grand  styles,  which  has  been  so  unfortunately  scat- 
tered. Every  one  recognises  that  there  is  no  place 
where  it  would  show  to  more  advantage,  and  the  re- 
cent installation  of  a  part  of  the  crown  tapestry  shows 
what  an  admirable  effect  would  be  produced  in  such 
surroundings  by  the  venerable  objects  that  were  there 
in  days  gone  by. 

The  real  interest  of  modern  Versailles,  as  it  ap- 
pears to  us  at  the  beginning  of  the  twentieth  century, 
is  concerned  with  the  decorative  art  of  France,  of 
which  we  see  here  some  of  the  most  important  ex- 
amples; and  also  with  the  history  of  France,  thanks 
to  the  Museum  of  portraits  and  scenes  in  the  history 
of  the  nation,  by  means  of  which  the  life  of  the  past 
is  renewed.  Nothing  can  be  more  interesting  than 
to  discover,  on  the  walls  of  Louis  XIV.'s  great  apart- 
ments, the  pictures  of  the  time,  representing  his 
Court  and  his  military  campaigns;  or  to  find  col- 

[32] 


IN    HISTORY   AND   ART 

lected  in  Madame  de  Maintenon's  rooms  the  por- 
traits of  the  famous  men  and  women  of  her  day;  or 
to  see,  in  the  rooms  of  the  Dauphin,  Louis  XV.'s  son, 
surrounded  by  contemporary  decorations,  the  whole 
of  the  society  of  the  eighteenth  century  made  to  live 
again  for  us  on  canvas.  This  is  a  very  fruitful  study, 
and  several  days  should  be  devoted  to  it. 

Versailles,  even  half-furnished  and  bare — nay, 
even  mutilated — is  nevertheless  a  splendid  page  of 
history,  always  open  before  the  eyes  of  the  nation, 
and  comprehensible  to  every  one.  But,  whatever 
we  may  do  to  it,  it  still  remains  a  huge  ruin,  and  a 
huge  tomb.  Its  animating  principle  exists  no  longer, 
and  will  never  return  to  it  in  any  other  form;  and 
the  magnificence  that  was  admired  by  two  centuries 
is  only  to  be  found  in  isolated  parts.  Any  effort  to 
reproduce  it,  by  restorations  of  a  too  detailed 
description,  are  condemned  beforehand  to  failure. 
Who  could  pretend  to  reconstruct  nowadays  (except 
by  thought  and  study)  the  sumptuous  effects  of  the 
days  of  the  Monarchy?  The  chimerical  hope  of 
restoring  the  past  condition  of  a  monument  leads,  in 
most  cases,  to  its  complete  destruction.  Let  us  rather 
enjoy  what  has  survived;  let  us  at  all  costs  preserve 
everything  that  the  touch  of  time  has  helped  to 
beautify;  let  us  respect  the  harmonious  whole  that 
it  has  created;  and  let  us,  by  the  help  of  the  remains 

[33] 


VERSAILLES 

that  are  left,  guess  what  the  achievement  of  Louis 
XIV.  must  have  been  in  its  magnificent  complete- 
ness. 

The  thought  which,  from  the  historical  point  of 
view,  must  strike  every  visitor  of  any  education,  is 
the  same  that  influences  the  work  that  still  remains 
to  be  done;  the  thought,  namely,  that  Versailles 
ceased  to  exist  as  a  living  work  of  art  in  the  year 
1789.  Nothing  could  have  been  more  interesting  to 
us  than  to  have  had  it  preserved  until  now  exactly  as 
the  Revolution  found  it.  Indeed  all  of  it  that  is 
earlier  than  that  date,  and  has  not  been  degraded  by 
restoration,  has  a  special  charm  for  us,  and  claims 
a  degree  of  respect  of  which  the  modern  parts  are 
unworthy.  The  latter  may  be  repaired  and  im- 
proved without  scruple;  but  we  must  hesitate  long 
before  we  touch  those  that  were  conceived  in  a 
former  day,  and  executed  by  the  hands  of  experts, 
whose  technical  processes  we  have  lost. 

The  artists  of  former  days  preyed  upon  one  an- 
other, by  a  right  conferred  on  them  by  their  creative 
gift.  The  incident  of  the  panels  of  Verberckt  re- 
placing, in  Louis  XV.'s  time,  those  of  Du  Goulon, 
which  were  thrown  into  a  barn,  recalls  the  fate  of 
Piero  della  Francesca's  frescoes  in  the  rooms  of  the 
Vatican,  where  Raphael  ruthlessly  covered  them 
with  his  own  new  paintings.  In  the  ages  when  crea- 

[34] 


IN    HISTORY   AND   ART 

tive  genius  was  strong  the  orders  of  the  master  for 
whom  the  artist  worked — pope,  or  king,  or  power- 
ful noble — were  naturally  inspired  by  the  constant 
changes  in  taste;  and  it  was  by  virtue  of  sacrifices, 
and  often  very  cruel  ones,  that  art  progressed  with- 
out becoming  stereotyped  in  conventional  forms.  Not 
only  have  we  lost  this  right  of  replacing  one  work 
of  art  by  another,  but  we  shall  do  well  if  we  abstain 
from  remaking  those  that  have  disappeared.  For 
is  it  possible  for  us  to  put  before  critical  eyes  any- 
thing better  than  an  imperfect  resemblance,  denuded 
of  all  power  to  recall  what  is  gone?  The  succes- 
sive restorations  of  the  nineteenth  century  in  his- 
torical buildings  changed,  in  many  cases,  the  style 
of  work  of  their  architects,  because  the  actual  design 
was  lacking. 

So  rich  is  Versailles  in  every  style  that  art  is  often 
to  be  found  there  in  its  first  bloom  and  its  original 
beauty.  Of  the  many  marvels  with  which  it  over- 
flowed a  large  number  has  entirely  disappeared; 
others,  which  have  been  touched  by  modern  hands, 
have  no  longer  any  value  but  a  symbolic  and  his- 
torical one;  but  many,  fortunately,  remain,  and  we 
have  no  reason  to  think  that  they  are  likely  to  be 
destroyed.  The  Parterre  d'Eau,  for  example,  and 
the  bronzes  cast  by  the  Kellers,  form  a  harmonious 
whole  that  seems  imperishable.  Such  objects  as 

[37] 


VERSAILLES 

these,  left  where  the  hand  of  their  creators  placed 
them,  are  by  no  means  rare  at  Versailles.  They  can 
be  recognised  at  once,  and  one  greets  them  respect- 
fully as  they  stand  among  the  rest,  as  faithful  and 
venerable  witnesses  of  the  past.  They  will  do  hon- 
our to  the  France  of  the  last  two  centuries  as  long 
as  an  artist  lives  to  visit  them,  and  as  long  as  thought- 
ful minds  take  pleasure  in  the  places  where  the 
figures  of  history  can  be  made  to  live  and  move. 


[38] 


THE   PALACE  AND  THE   APARTMENTS 


visitor  to  Versailles  would  wish  to 
find  a  reliable  guide  who  could  explain 
to  him  in  the  course  of  his  visit  the  his- 
tory of  the  various  parts  of  the  demesne, 
and  give  him  accurate  and  clear  information  with 
regard  to  the  works  of  art  that  have  been  preserved 
there,  and  the  original  arrangement  of  the  different 
places.  As  there  is  no  such  guide  it  is  our  object  to 
take  the  place  of  one,  with  a  view  to  adding  to 
the  enjoyment,  instruction,  and  convenience  of  the 
visitor. 

The  Palace  is  generally  approached  by  the  gate 
that  opens  on  the  great  "  Place  d'Armes."  In  this 
square,  which  was  made  in  the  time  of  Louis  XIV., 
three  wide  avenues  converge,  fanwise:  in  the  centre 
the  Avenue  de  Paris,  to  the  left  the  Avenue  de  St. 
Cloud,  and  to  the  right  the  Avenue  de  Sceaux. 
These  wide  spaces  were  planned  when  the  town 
of  Versailles  was  first  originated,  when  the  King 

[39] 


VERSAILLES 

sketched  out,  in  the  open,  bare  country,  the  design 
of  a  regular  and  majestic  town,  which  should  be  a 
model  to  all  his  kingdom. 

'Between  the  Avenues  are  huge  buildings  known 
as  the  Grand  Stable  and  the  Little  Stable,  which  are 
now  used  as  barracks.  They  are  built  in  a  very 
grand  style  of  architecture,  and  date  from  the  time 
when  the  King  settled  finally  at  Versailles  with  his 
Court.  They  were  designed  by  Mansart,  the  famous 
architect  who  gave  the  structure  of  Versailles  its 
final  form.  The  interior,  which  is  closed  to  the 
public,  is  very  fine.  The  Grand  Stable  to  the  left, 
with  its  back  to  the  Palace,  was  designed  for  the 
horses  and  coach-houses  of  the  carriages  belonging 
to  the  Court;  the  Little  Stable,  to  the  right,  sheltered 
the  riding-horses  used  by  the  King,  the  Queen,  and 
the  Royal  Family.  There  were  2500  horses  in  the 
two  stables  and  the  kennels. 

!We  pass  through  the  gate,  which  is  the  original 
one,  and  has  eight  pierced  pilasters  supporting  a 
large  lyre  and  a  sun — the  emblems  of  Louis  XIV., 
which  we  shall  meet  at  every  step.  The  stone  figures 
upon  the  guardhouses  that  flank  the  gateway  are  by 
Marsy  and  G;/ardon,  and  represent  Victory  holding 
up  a  crown  and  overpowering  a  captive;  at  the  feet 
of  one  is  the  eagle  of  the  Empire ;  at  the  feet  of  the 
other  is  the  lion  of  Spain — symbols  of  the  victories 

[40] 


THE  PALACE   AND  APARTMENTS 

won  by  Louis  XIV.  before  the  time  that  he  came  to 
live  at  Versailles. 

On  each  side  of  the  great  court,  which  was  for- 
merly called  the  outer  court,  are  large  buildings  of 
stone  and  brick,  which  contained  the  quarters  of  the 
four  Secretaries  of  State  and  their  offices.  They  are 
somewhat  overpowered  by  the  size  of  the  statues  near 
them,  representing  the  great  men  of  France,  which 
were  unfortunately  placed  here  in  the  time  of  Louis 
Philippe,  as  well  as  the  great  bronze  statue  of  Louis 
XIV.,  who  seems  to  be  welcoming  the  visitors  who 
enter  the  gates  of  his  palace.  The  two  enormous 
pavilions  with  pillars  and  pediments,  on  which,  when 
the  museum  was  organised,  were  inscribed  the  words : 
To  all  the  Glories  of  France,  do  not  date  from  Louis 
XIV.'s  time.  The  one  by  which  the  chapel  is  partly 
hidden  was  built  at  the  end  of  Louis  XV.'s  reign,  and, 
with  the  wing  that  is  connected  with  it,  formed  the 
beginning  of  that  entire  reconstruction  of  these 
facades  which  was  in  progress  when  the  design  was 
interrupted  by  the  Revolution.  The  corresponding 
pavilion  was  only  erected,  after  the  same  plan,  under 
Napoleon  I.  They  occupy  the  place  of  older  and 
lower  wings.,  which  were  built  of  brick  and  stone, 
like  everything  that  we  see  from  here. 

On  the  spot  where  Louis  XIV.'s  statue  stands  there 
used  to  be  a  semi-circular  entrance-gate,  separating 


VERSAILLES 

the  outer  court  from  the  inner  one,  known  as  the 
Royal  Court,  into  which  no  carriages  might  pass  ex- 
cept those  belonging  to  people  who  had  "  the  priv- 
ileges of  the  Louvre." 

Quite  at  the  back  of  this  court,  at  the  narrowest 
point  of  the  Palace,  several  steps  paved  with  marble 
led  from  the  bare  ground  to  the  little  marble  court, 
which  has  unfortunately  been  restored  at  too  low  a 
level.  A  passage,  which  was  always  kept  open, 
formerly  communicated  directly  between  the  marble 
court  and  the  gardens. 

The  decorative  effect  here  is  charming.  With  the 
gay  colour  of  the  brick  is  combined  the  brilliancy  of 
the  marble  columns  and  the  balconies  of  wrought  and 
gilded  iron.  The  laden  ornaments  which  adorn  the 
apices  of  the  roofs  so  richly,  the  frames  of  the 
windows,  and  also  the  roof  of  the  chapel,  were  for- 
merly gilded,  and  gave  an  extraordinarily  dazzling 
effect  to  the  Royal  dwelling,  which  could  be  seen 
from  a  great  distance  glittering  in  the  sunshine. 

The  statues  placed  picturesquely  on  the  balustrades 
of  the  roofs  are  the  masterpieces  of  the  best  sculptors 
of  the  day,  and  represent  the  Four  Quarters  of  the 
Globe,  and  the  Chief  Virtues  of  a  King.  The  dial 
of  the  old  clock  is  supported  by  figures  of  Mars  and 
Hercules,  by  the  sculptors  Marsy  and  Girardon.  It 
surmounts  the  raised  part  of  the  small  central  fagade 

[42] 


THE   PALACE   AND  APARTMENTS 

which  marks  the  position  of  Louis  XIV.'s  room;  this 
facade  was  rebuilt  in  his  day;  the  two  others,  with 
the  exception  of  the  decorations,  are  similar  to  those 
of  the  original  small  chateau  of  Louis  XIII. 

In  the  Royal  Court  were  the  two  large  entrances 
to  the  Palace,  connected  with  the  two  great  principal 
staircases;  they  are  recognisable  in  the  three  great 
arcades  on  each  side  of  the  court.  The  one  on  the 
right  led  to  the  grand  staircase  of  the  Ambassadors, 
the  most  important  and  the  handsomest  in  the  Palace, 
which  was  destroyed  by  Louis  XV.  and  replaced  by 
suites  of  rooms.  Although  this  masterpiece  is  very 
well  known  by  means  of  old  engravings,  we  will  not 
speak  of  it  here,  since  there  is  not  a  vestige  of  it  left; 
and  we  will  enter  the  Palace  by  the  arcades  on  the 
left,  known  as  the  Staircase  of  Marble  or  the  Queen's 
Staircase. 

The  visitor  is  greeted  on  the  threshold  by  a  portrait 
of  Louis  XIV.,  a  fine  bust  of  him  as  a  young  man,  by 
Warin.  To  the  left,  on  the  ground-floor,  is  the 
entrance  to  the  rooms  of  the  Dauphine  and  Dauphin, 
where  a  fine  Museum  of  the  eighteenth  century  has 
lately  been  installed,  to  which  we  shall  return.  At 
the  present  moment  we  must  ascend  the  staircase  built 
by  Mansart  in  1681.  In  a  niche  on  the  landing  are 
a  group  of  cupids  in  gilded  lead,  supporting  an 
escutcheon  bearing  the  King's  monogram,  with 

[45] 


VERSAILLES 

torches  and  doves.  Above  the  doors  and  in  the  cor- 
responding corners  are  bas-reliefs  of  children  and 
sphinxes,  the  gilded  metal  of  which  they  are  made 
being  a  mixture  of  lead  and  tin.  The  doorway  open- 
ing on  to  the  loggia,  and  the  painted  views  facing  it, 
date  only  from  1701.  This  staircase  always  gave 
access  to  the  rooms  of  the  King  and  Queen.  The 
Hall  of  the  King's  Guards  opens  on  the  loggia  men- 
tioned above;  the  entrance  to  the  Hall  of  the  Queen's 
Guards  is  to  the  right,  on  the  landing. 

This  magnificent  hall,  the  first  room  of  the  Queen's 
suite,  was  built  at  the  same  time  as  the  staircase,  and 
is  decorated  with  the  same  valuable  marble;  it  also 
contains  bas-reliefs  of  gilded  metal,  and  the  pictures 
are  framed  in  the  same  metal.  The  ceiling  was 
painted,  by  Noel  Coypel,  with  quaint  figures,  dressed 
in  the  fashions  of  the  period  when  this  part  of  the 
Palace  was  built.  The  works  of  art  that  are  gathered 
in  this  first  room  are  of  various  dates.  Among  them 
are  pictures  of  the  family  of  the  Grand-Dauphin, 
Louis  XIV.'s  son,  and  the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne, 
wife  of  Louis  XIV.'s  grandson  and  mother  of  Louis 
XV.,  a  charming  portrait  by  Santerre.  The  sculp- 
ture comprises  some  admirable  busts  of  princesses  of 
the  eighteenth  century,  including  one  of  Queen 
Marie  Antoinette,  an  official  portrait  by  Leconte. 
This  bust  stands  beside  the  door,  where  the  Queen's 

[46] 


THE  PALACE   AND  APARTMENTS 

Guards  were  cut  down  and  left  for  dead,  at  the  time 
of  the  invasion  of  the  Palace  by  the  crowd  of  insur- 
gents, at  break  of  day,  on  October  6,  1789. 

The  crowd,  who  were  seeking  the  Queen  with  the 
intention  of  killing  her,  did  not  know  the  way  into 
her  rooms,  and  this  closed  door  was  not  entered.  The 
National  Guards  were  soon  on  the  spot,  and  lost  no 
time  in  driving  the  bloodthirsty  mob  down  the  marble 
staircase  by  way  of  which  they  had  just  invaded  the 
Palace.  It  is  well  known  that  two  of  the  bodyguard, 
who  had  defended  this  staircase,  were  captured  by 
the  crowd  and  had  their  heads  cut  off;  and  theirs 
were  the  heads  that  were  carried  on  pikes  beside  the 
royal  carriage,  when  the  King  and  his  family  were 
taken  back  to  Paris  by  the  populace  on  that  same  day. 

These  tragic  memories  recall  the  last  days  passed 
by  the  French  Monarchy  at  Versailles.  We  shall 
find  other  memories  of  this  same  day,  to  which  we 
shall  return  in  the  proper  place.  The  associations  of 
the  next  salons  are  of  a  less  melancholy  character,  for 
they  are  concerned  with  the  brilliant  epoch  of  the 
three  reigns  that  followed  each  other  amid  the 
splendours  of  Versailles. 

From  the  Hall  of  the  Guards  one  passes  into  the 
Queen's  antechamber,  a  large  room  where  the  King 
and  Queen  were  in  the  habit  of  taking  their  meals  au 
grand  convert,  that  is  to  say,  in  public,  among  the 

[47] 


VERSAILLES 

members  of  their  Court,  who  stood  round  the  room 
during  the  royal  repast.  These  ceremonies  attracted 
many  people,  and  every  foreigner  of  distinction  was 
eager  to  attend  them;  the  public  were  permitted  to 
walk  through  all  the  rooms,  near  the  windows,  but  in 
the  hall  of  the  grandcouvert  they  were  separated  from 
the  royal  table  by  a  line  of  Swiss  Guards.  Any  one 
was  allowed  to  walk  by  in  this  way,  provided  he  were 
decently  dressed;  and  nothing  shows  more  plainly 
than  this  custom  that  the  King  of  France,  in  spite  of 
the  absolutism  of  his  power,  was  always  in  close  com- 
munication with  his  subjects. 

The  walls  are  covered  with  pictures  o'f  the  time  of 
Louis  XIV.,  which  are  cartoons  of  the  tapestry  hang- 
ings produced  by  the  royal  manufactory  of  the 
Gobelins,  and  represent  episodes  of  Louis  XIV.'s 
reign.  It  is  intended  to  replace  these  cartoons  by 
the  original  tapestries,  which  were  formerly  here; 
and  this  work  of  renewing  the  former  appearance  of 
these  apartments  has  already  been  begun  in  the  next 
room  and  in  the  King's  suite,  and  will  restore  the 
original  harmony  between  the  decoration  of  the  walls 
and  that  of  the  ceiling.  In  this  room  the  ceiling  is 
painted  by  Vignon  and  is  dedicated  to  Mars :  the  cen- 
tral panel  is  an  old  repliqua  of  Le  Brun's  picture 
The  Family  of  Darius  at  the  Feet  of  Alexander. 

The  west  room  was  the  great  Reception-room  of 

[48] 


THE  PALACE   AND  APARTMENTS 

the  Queen,  who  here  held  her  large  audiences.  The 
ceiling  represents  Mercury  as  the  beneficent  god  of 
the  Arts  and  Sciences.  The  gilded  stucco  of  the 
ceiling  was  renewed  under  Louis  XVI.,  as  was  also 
the  panelling  of  the  room.  In  accordance  with  the 
plan  of  restoration  that  is  being  followed,  three  pieces 
of  Gobelin  tapestry  have  just  been  replaced  here, 
from  the  series  called  "  The  History  of  the  King " : 
the  Coronation  of  Louis  XIV.;  the  Renewal  of  the 
Alliance  with  the  Swiss  Cantons  and  the  Visit  of 
Louis  XIV.  to  the  Gobelins  Manufactory  in  1667. 
This  last  composition  shows  the  workmen,  under  the 
direction  of  Charles  Le  Brun,  presenting  to  the  King 
the  furniture  of  chased  silver  that  was  then  being 
made  for  Versailles,  where  it  remained  for  some  time. 
The  Queen's  bedroom,  which  comes  next  in  order, 
is  an  admirable  specimen  and  type  of  the  decorative 
art  of  Louis  XV.'s  day,  though  it  has  unhappily  lost, 
through  Louis  Philippe's  depredations,  two  fine  mir- 
rors with  carved  frames,  as  well  as  the  panels  of 
gilded  wood  that  surrounded  them.  But  we  may 
form  a  mental  image  of  the  original  rich  effect,  with 
the  help  of  the  mirror  that  still  survives  between  the 
windows,  the  frames  of  the  doors,  and  the  beautiful 
friezes  painted  by  Natoire  and  De  Troy,  representing 
respectively  "  Youth  and  Virtue  presenting  two 
Princesses  to  France  "  (the  birth  of  Louis  XV.'s  elder 


VERSAILLES 

daughters),  and  "Glory  taking  possession  of  the 
Children  of  France  "  (in  which  the  young  Dauphin 
figures  with  his  sisters). 

The  wood-carvings,  which  represent  the  most  deli- 
cate floral  subjects,  are  by  Jacques  Verberckt,  the 
most  skilful  carver  of  his  day,  who  in  1738  completed 
this  rich  series  for  Queen  Marie  Leczinska.  The 
ceiling  is  of  the  same  date,  and  in  it  are  fixed  four 
paintings  in  grey  by  Boucher,  representing  the  four 
principal  virtues  of  Queens:  Fidelity,  Charity,  Pru- 
dence, and  Generosity.  The  eagles  at  the  corners  of 
the  ceiling  were  added  to  represent  the  Eagle  of  Aus- 
tria when  the  Archduchess  Marie  Antoinette  took 
possession  of  this  room  as  Dauphine  of  France,  soon 
after  her  marriage. 

This  room,  the  furniture  of  which,  while  it  was 
always  magnificent,  was  renewed  several  times  to 
keep  pace  with  successive  changes  of  taste,  was  oc- 
cupied in  turn  by  the  Queens  of  France  and,  when 
there  was  no  Queen,  by  the  Dauphines.  It  was  used 
by  the  wife  of  Louis  XIV.,  Marie  Therese  of  Aus- 
tria, who  died  in  it  in  1683,  by  the  Dauphine  "  of 
Bavaria,"  the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne,  and  Queen 
Marie  Leczinska,  who  used  it  from  1725  to  1768  and 
died  in  it.  It  was  finally  the  bedroom  of  Marie 
Antoinette,  Dauphine  and  Queen,  until  1789. 

It  was  here  that  the  Queen's  toilet  took  place  every 


THE   PALACE   AND  APARTMENTS 

morning,  in  the  presence  of  the  ladies  of  the  Court. 
The  alcove  was  separated  from  the  rest  of  the  room 
by  a  gilt  balustrade,  and  on  each  side  of  the  bed 
were  two  doors — still  existing — which  gave  access 
to  the  private  rooms  in  the  royal  suite,  called  the 
Cabinets  de  la  Heine. 

On  the  morning  of  October  6,  1789,  Marie  An- 
toinette was  awakened  by  the  cries  and  threats  of  the 
huge  crowd  under  her  windows,  in  the  garden,  and 
soon  afterwards  heard  the  noise  upon  her  staircase 
of  the  invasion  of  the  Palace.  She  hastily  pulled  on 
a  petticoat,  and  followed  by  the  woman-of-the-bed- 
charnber  who  was  on  duty  for  the  night,  she  hurriedly 
escaped  by  the  door  on  the  left  side  of  her  bed,  and 
rushed  for  safety  to  the  rooms  of  the  King,  her  hus- 
band, where  we  shall  soon  recall  the  end  of  this 
dramatic  scene. 

Nearly  all  the  princes  and  princesses  of  the  House 
of  France  were  born  in  this  room.  Their  birth,  in 
accordance  with  a  very  ancient  rule  of  etiquette,  al- 
ways took  place  in  public,  in  order  that  every  French- 
man might  be  secure  from  doubt  as  to  the  birth  of  his 
future  sovereign.  This  custom,  as  may  well  be 
imagined,  was  extremely  unpleasant,  and  even  dan- 
derous,  for  the  mother.  On  one  of  these  occasions 
Marie  Antoinette  was  surrounded  by  so  many  people 
in  this  room  that  she  was  nearly  stifled  for  want  of 

[53] 


VERSAILLES 

air.  Every  chink  of  the  windows  was  closely  stopped 
up,  and  it  was  the  vigorous  Louis  XVI.  who,  with  his 
own  hands,  tore  them  open  to  air  the  room. 

Two  portraits  of  the  Queens  who  occupied  this 
room  for  the  longest  time  are  hung  upon  the  wall. 
Nather  has  depicted  Marie  Leczinska  in  1748,  read- 
ing a  book  of  devotion  in  the  familiar  attitude  that 
was  most  agreeable  to  this  good  and  studious  prin- 
cess. Marie  Antoinette  is  represented  by  Madame 
Vigee-Lebrun,  in  1787,  in  the  same  attitude;  but  the 
coquettish  head-dress  and  rich  garments  of  the  lov- 
able and  light-hearted  sovereign  mark  the  contrast 
between  the  natures  of  these  two  Queens. 

The  view  upon  which  one  looks  out  from  the  win- 
dows of  the  Queen's  suite  gives  one  a  first  general 
idea  of  the  beautiful  gardens  of  Versailles;  the  rooms 
face  south;  the  flower-garden  that  lies  under  the 
balcony  still  shows  the  original  design  of  Le  Notre ; 
beyond  it,  lower  down,  is  the  orangery,  then  the  sheet 
of  water  called  the  Piece  des  Suisses,  and  on  the 
horizon  are  the  dark  woods  of  Satory. 

We  should  now  visit  the  charming  rooms  originally 
built  for  the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne,  rearranged  by 
Marie  Leczinska,  and  entirely  renewed  and  re- 
decorated to  suit  the  taste  of  Marie  Antionette.  In 
the  little  salon  whose  corners  are  cut  off,  which  is 
known  as  the  meridienne,  the  carving  of  the  wood- 

[54] 


THE  STEPS  OF  LATONA 


THE  PALACE   AND  APARTMENTS 

work  is  absolutely  perfect.  The  foliage  and  rose 
buds  grouped  upon  the  panels  are  similar  to  the  de- 
sign in  chased  and  gilded  copper  that  is  fastened 
upon  the  transparent  glass  of  the  two  doors.  Close 
at  hand  is  the  library,  painted  in  gold,  yellow,  and 
green,  which  contained  the  Queen's  books — books 
that  she  did  not  read,  however,  for  she  was  re- 
proached by  her  mother,  the  Empress  Marie  Therese, 
for  her  lack  of  taste  for  reading,  as  showing  a  trifling 
and  frivolous  mind.  In  another  library,  adjoining  the 
little  bathroom,  one  may  see  the  casket  of  painted  silk 
which  held  the  layette  presented  by  the  City  of  Paris 
for  the  use  of  the  Dauphine  born  in  1781. 

The  great  Cabinet  de  la  Reine  was  the  room  in 
which  the  Queen  spent  the  greater  part  of  her  days; 
her  favourite  furniture,  her  knick-knacks  and  minia- 
tures, were  all  here;  it  was  here  that  she  gave  her  pri- 
vate audiences  and  received  her  own  special  circle, 
the  Duchesse  de  Polignac  and  her  friends,  the  Comte 
d'Artois,  M.  de  Bezenval,  M.  de  Coigny,  and  Count 
Fersen.  Later  on  she  arranged  that  her  children 
should  come  to  her  here,  by  a  private  staircase,  in 
order  that  she  might  take  part  in  their  education. 

In  this  salon,  where  so  many  memories  of  the 
Queen's  happy  days  come  crowding  into  our  minds, 
there  is  a  bust  of  her  in  the  porcelain  called  Biscuit 
de  Sevres,  after  Pajou.  In  the  lines  and  subjects  of 

[57] 


VERSAILLES 

the  carved  panels  upon  the  walls  we  may  see  the  Em- 
pire style  of  decoration  already  fully  developed. 
There  is  here  a  tastefully  arranged  niche,  entirely 
composed  of  looking-glasses;  and  it  is  said — quite 
wrongly — that  Marie  Antionette  was  surprised  and 
horrified,  on  her  arrival  at  Versailles,  to  see,  in  the 
angle  of  this  mirrored  niche,  an  ill-omened  vision  of 
herself,  without  a  head.  There  is  no  foundation  for 
the  story,  for  the  whole  scheme  of  decoration  dates 
from  the  second  part  of  the  reign.  It  is  but  one  of 
many  legends  which  have  been  given  an  air  of  truth 
by  modern  romantic  writers  on  the  history  of  the  un- 
happy Queen. 

We  enter  now  the  Salon  de  la  Paix,  where  we  are 
again  recalled  to  the  memory  of  Louis  XIV.  in  the 
most  famous  and  the  best  preserved  part  of  the 
Palace.  This  salon  opens  into  the  celebrated  Galerie 
des  Glaces,  at  the  further  end  of  which  there  is  a 
room  of  the  same  shape  called  the  Salon  de  la  Guerre. 
The  whole  of  this  was  built  by  Mansart,  and  the 
paintings  were  the  work  of  Charles  Le  Brun  and 
his  pupils  between  the  years  1679  and  1684.  On  the 
ceiling  of  the  Salon  de  la  Paix  are  the  allegories  that 
gave  the  room  its  name,  and  the  bronze  trophies  that 
are  fastened  to  the  marble  are  also  of  agricultural  and 
peaceful  subjects.  The  picture  on  the  mantelpiece 
was  added  in  the  eighteenth  century.  It  is  by  Le- 

[58] 


THE  PALACE   AND   APARTMENTS 

moyne,  and  represents  Louis  XV.  giving  peace  to 
France,  while  he  himself  is  being  presented  with  his 
two  first  children,  the  twin  daughters  who  were  the 
earnest  of  future  offspring.  The  salon  was  then  part 
of  the  suite  of  the  Queen,  who  gave  concerts  there, 
in  which  the  performers  were  the  musicians  of  the 
King's  chapel.  Later  on  Marie  Antoinette  used  it  as 
a  card-room,  and  it  was  here  that  enormous  sums 
were  lost  at  lansquenet  and  other  games  of  chance  by 
the  nobles  and  ladies  of  the  Court.  The  Salon  de  la 
Paix  was  at  that  time  separated  from  the  gallery  by 
bars  of  painted  wood,  the  fastenings  of  which  may 
still  be  seen. 

The  great  Galerie  des  Glaces,  together  with  the 
salons  are  of  very  great  length ;  the  gallery  alone  is 
73  metres  long,  by  loj  wide,  by  13  high.  It  is 
lighted  by  seventeen  large  windows  in  marble 
arcades,  to  which  correspond  seventeen  imitation 
arcades  filled  with  306  bevelled  mirrors  mounted  on 
copper  frames.  These  mirrors,  which  Louis  XIV. 
ordered  from  Venice,  were,  both  on  account  of  their 
size  and  their  number,  extremely  magnificent  for 
that  date;  they  reflected  the  light  dazzlingly,  while 
the  nearly  white  marble,  contrasting  with  the  col- 
oured marble,  completed  the  marvellous  effect. 

Some  large  mauve  pilasters  are  surmounted  by 
capitals  in  gilded  metal  of  a  new  style  of  architecture 

[59] 


VERSAILLES 

invented  by  Le  Brun,  in  which  the  fleur-de-lys  figures 
together  with  the  sun  and  the  Gallic  cock.  The 
trophies  of  gilded  metal,  and  the  twelve  groups  of 
arms  in  chased  copper  that  are  fastened  upon  the 
marble  at  the  height  of  the  eye,  were  designed  and 
cast  by  the  most  skilful  artists,  and  harmonise  delight- 
fully with  the  marbles,  with  the  festoons  of  gilded 
metal  that  surround  the  arcades  of  the  mirrors,  and 
with  the  cornice  of  gilded  stucco  that  carries  on  the 
golden  effect  along  the  whole  magnificent  gallery. 

The  eye  is  then  attracted  towards  the  paintings  of 
the  vaulted  roof,  which  is  the  largest  painted  surface 
existing  in  France,  recalling,  while  it  surpasses  them, 
the  most  famous  specimens  of  Italy.  This  immense 
undertaking  was  carried  out  by  Le  Brun,  supported 
by  the  enthusiasm  of  the  King  his  master,  who  called 
him  his  "  chief  painter."  He  first  made  rough  draw- 
ings, and  then  highly  finished  sketches,  of  all  the  sub- 
jects, which  were  to  represent  allegorically  the  his^ 
tory  and  triumphs  of  the  reign.  The  King's  glory 
had  as  yet  suffered  no  diminution,  and  it  was  the 
climax  of  the  supremacy  of  France  that  the  painter 
had  to  represent.  The  double  picture  that  occupies 
the  centre  contrasts  the  magnificence  of  the  powers 
that  surrounded  France  with  the  moment  when  the 
King,  at  the  end  of  his  mother's  regency,  began  to 
reign  independently.  The  small  compositions  tell 

[60] 


THE  BASIN  OF  LATONA 


THE  PALACE  AND  APARTMENTS 

the  story  of  the  first  part  of  the  reign,  till  the  peace  of 
Aix-la-Chapelle;  the  larger  ones  represent  in  alle- 
gorical form  the  episodes  of  the  period  of  war  up  to 
the  peace  of  Nimegue,  from  1671  to  1678.  Espe- 
cially conspicuous  are  the  preparations  for  the  war 
against  Holland,  the  crossing  of  the  Rhine,  the  tak- 
ing of  Maestricht,  and  the  conquest  of  Tranche 
Comte.  Every  group  and  figure  has  some  allegori- 
cal significance,  in  accordance  with  the  custom  of  the 
time.  For  instance,  it  is  easy  to  understand  the 
symbolism  of  the  arches  at  the  end  of  the  gallery, 
where  the  formation  of  the  coalition  against  the 
King  is  contrasted  with  the  destruction  of  that  coali- 
tion by  means  of  his  victories.  Above  the  door  open- 
ing into  the  Salon  de  la  Guerre  is  painted  the  alliance 
of  Germany  and  Spain  with  Holland  (1672)  ;  above 
the  door  of  the  Salon  de  la  Paix,  Holland  is  seen  van- 
quished, separating  from  her  allies  (1678). 

If  Le  Brun  had  worked  more  slowly  it  would  have 
been  impossible  for  him  to  go  on  painting  victories, 
for  the  glory  of  the  reign  soon  began  to  decline.  But 
in  the  meantime  the  King  was  everywhere  repre- 
sented in  his  glorious  youth,  resembling  a  Roman 
Emperor  with  his  golden  armour,  purple  mantle,  and 
bare  arms  and  legs,  and  always  recognisable  among 
the  gods  and  goddesses  by  his  splendid  brown  peruke. 

Le  B run's  work,  indeed,  consists  entirely  of  this 
[63] 


VERSAILLES 

superabundance  of  allusion  and  symbolism,  which 
would  very  soon  become  wearisome  when  once  one 
had  appreciated  its  ingenuity.  The  lasting  charm  of 
the  whole  effect  is  secured  by  the  absolute  harmony 
of  the  decorative  scheme,  than  which  it  is  impossible 
to  imagine  anything  richer.  All  the  various  tones  of 
gold  and  copper  are  blended,  everywhere  with  the 
most  brilliant  colours.  Noble  figures,  nearly  always 
in  couples,  beautiful  only  on  account  of  their  lines 
and  their  effects  of  contrast,  live  and  move  in  the 
midst  of  the  painted  architecture  they  support. 
Virile  caryatides  holding  up  gilded  entablatures, 
naked  little  sprites  playing  among  garlands  and 
escutcheons,  winged  Victories  waving  flags  and  hang- 
ing up  trophies — this  is  the  kind  of  fanciful  popula- 
tion that  is  interposed  between  the  spectator  and  the 
grand  allegorical  scenes,  and  prepares  his  mind  to 
understand  them. 

It  is  impossible  to  form  any  adequate  idea  of  the 
splendour  that  this  gallery  and  the  salons  that  sur- 
round it  presented  in  Louis  XIV.'s  time,  unless  one 
is  able  to  picture  the  magnificent  furniture  that  was 
made  on  purpose  for  their  adornment.  Two  large 
carpets  of  a  light  colour  from  the  Savonnerie  covered 
the  parquet  floor,  while  the  windows  were  furnished 
with  curtains  of  white  damask,  embroidered  with  the 
King's  monogram  in  gold.  In  the  evening  the  mir- 


THE  PALACE   AND   APARTMENTS 

rors  reflected  the  candles  of  the  fourteen  crystal  and 
silver  chandeliers  that  hung  from  the  ceiling.  All 
the  furniture  was  of  enamel  and  chased  silver — tables 
large  and  small,  stools,  cressets  and  girandoles,  can- 
delabra and  chandeliers — and  the  numerous  orange- 
trees  that  stood  along  the  marble  walls  were  in  mar- 
vellous tubs  of  chased  silver.  This  collection  was 
the  work  of  the  most  skilful  silversmiths,  but  un- 
happily it  was  not  long  in  existence,  for  the  misfor- 
tunes of  war  obliged  the  King  to  send  all  these 
incomparable  masterpieces  to  the  Mint  to  be  melted 
down.  We  can  form  some  idea  of  them  from  the  old 
pictures  and  tapestry  in  which  some  of  them  are  de- 
picted. The  furniture  that  replaced  them  was  made 
of  gilded  wood  of  delicate  workmanship,  but  it  also 
has  disappeared. 

One's  pleasure  in  this  gallery  is  doubled  by  the 
view  from  the  windows  and  balconies.  One  looks 
straight  down  the  very  centre  of  the  gardens.  In 
front  of  the  Chateau  are  the  two  great  basins  of  the 
Parterre  d'Eau  with  their  bronze  statues,  and  beyond 
them  the  slopes  of  turf  lead  the  eye  to  the  distant  lines 
of  the  Grand  Canal.  We  have  here  a  foretaste  of  the 
beauty  of  the  gardens,  and  of  the  bronze  and  marble 
figures  that  adorn  them  everywhere.  But  it  is  only 
when  we  see  the  glittering  waters  rising  high  into  the 
air  from  the  basins  on  every  side  that  we  understand 


VERSAILLES 

the  full  significance  of  this  harmonious  scheme. 
That  is  indeed  a  magnificent  sight! 

We  will  now  leave  this  great  suite  of  rooms — to 
which  we  shall  return  later — and  pass  on  into  the 
royal  apartments.  It  is  convenient  to  visit  them  at 
this  point,  and  it  will  take  us  some  time  to  do  so,  since 
they  are  associated  with  all  the  principal  memories 
of  the  life  of  the  Monarchy. 

The  first  glass  door  opens  into  a  large  room  dec- 
orated with  gilded  woodwork,  which  is  none  other 
than  the  famous  ante-room  known  as  the  CEil-de- 
B&uf,  so  often  alluded  to  in  chronicles  of  the  de- 
parted Court.  This  salon  takes  its  name  from  a 
peculiarity  in  its  construction..  At  each-  end  of  the 
roof  is  a  window,  of  which  one  is  blind,  while  the 
other  overlooks  a  little  yard.  They  are  both  of  the 
oval  shape  that  French  architects  call  a  bull's-eye. 
The  room  was  only  built  in  1701,  before  which  date 
the  space  was  occupied  by  two  rooms.  On  the  south 
side. there  is  an  ante-room  called  the  Salon  des  Bass- 
ano,  on  account  of  the  numerous  pictures  by  the  Vene- 
tian master  Jacope  Bassano  that  hung  above  the  doors 
and  in  the  panels;  on  the  north  is  the  King's  Bed- 
room, which  he  occupied  until  the  year  1701. 

It  was  in  this  first  room  that  Moliere  fulfilled  the 
functions  of  valet-de-chambre  tapissler  to  the  King, 
for  this  was  the  title  under  which  the  celebrated 
[66] 


THE  GROVE  OF  THE  COLONNADE 


THE  PALACE   AND   APARTMENTS 

comic  poet  undertook  the  duty  of  making  Louis 
XIV.'s  bed.  It  was  a  duty  he  fulfilled  very  will- 
ingly, for  by  its  means  he  was  brought  near  to  the 
master's  person,  and  it  was  an  important  matter  to 
him  to  be  able  to  entertain  the  King  with  his 
comedies.  In  this  way  he  obtained  permission  to 
perform  his  famous  comedy  Tartufe,  of  which  the 
first  Acts  were  given  in  an  abridged  form  at  Ver- 
sailles, in  spite  of  the  opposition  of  the  devout  faction. 

In  this  first  bedroom  Louis  XIV.  was  operated  on 
for  fistula  on  November  18,  1686.  This  was  a  notable 
event  in  the  history  of  the  Court,  and  much  admira- 
tion was  evoked  by  the  patience  with  which  the  King 
bore  the  whole  operation  without  uttering  a  word  of 
complaint. 

At  the  present  day,  the  King's  room  having  been 
slightly  prolonged,  the  CEil-de-Bceuf  serves  it  for  an 
ante-chamber.  The  most  striking  part  of  the  decora- 
tions in  this  room  is  its  frieze,  with  its  bas-reliefs  of 
gilded  stucco,  which  represent  children  chasing  birds, 
taming  wild  animals,  playing  with  weapons,  and 
dancing.  This  frieze,  which  is  mainly  the  work  of 
Hardy  and  Van  Cleve,  is  of  the  most  incomparable 
grace  and  delicacy.  The  visitor  should  not  forget  to 
look  up  and  examine  it  carefully.  It  is  a  good 
example  of  the  special  taste  of  the  day,  which  gave 
to  the  figures  of  children  an  important  place  in  dec- 

[69] 


VERSAILLES 

orative  art;  a  taste  which  Louis  XIV.  expressed 
when  he  desired  his  painters  and  sculptors  to  "put 
childhood  everywhere." 

Among  the  pictures  of  the  royal  family  that  are 
fitted  into  the  panelling  is  one  by  Nocret  representing 
Louis  XIV.'s  family  in  1670.  The  object  of  the 
painter  was  to  depict  Olympus,  and  each  individual 
represents  a  god  or  goddess.  The  King  appears  as 
Apollo  crowned  with  laurels;  the  Queen-Mother  as 
Cybele;  the  young  Queen  as  Juno;  Monsieur  as  the 
Dawn  of  Day,  under  the  morning  star;  and  Madame 
(Henrietta  of  England)  as  Spring.  The  Queen  of 
England,  Madame's  mother,  represents  Iris,  holding 
a  trident  in  her  hand  and  presenting  the  produce  of 
the  sea;  and  the  Dauphin  is  depicted  as  Cupid  hold- 
ing a  torch.  All  the  princesses  of  the  house  of  Bour- 
bon have  their  distinctive  attributes,  and  all  the  por- 
traits in  this  curious  picture — so  characteristic  of  the 
times — are  good  likenesses. 

On  the  chimney-piece  stands  the  finest  bust  that  was 
ever  taken  of  Louis  XIV.  He  is  represented  in 
armour,  with  the  bearing  of  a  warrior  and  in  the  full 
height  of  his  strength.  This  piece  of  sculpture  is 
signed  Coyzevox  and  dated  1682,  and  is  therefore 
contemporary  with  the  final  establishment  of  the 
Court  at  Versailles. 

Two  narrow  doorways  open  into  the  first  ante- 

[70] 


THE   PALACE   AND  APARTMENTS 

room,  which  communicates  in  its  turn  with  the  Hall 
of  the  Guards,  the  room  by  which  the  King's  private 
suite  is  approached.  This  hall  opens  upon  the 
marble  staircase  of  which  we  have  already  spoken. 
The  two  chimney-pieces  of  these  rooms  are  preserved 
as  they  were,  but  all  the  rest  is  modernised  and  turned 
into  part  of  the  Museum.  In  the  ante-chamber  the 
table  was  laid  when  the  King  ate  his  meals  publicly 
in  his  own  rooms,  and  supper  and  dinner  were  served 
here  cermoniously.  Every  Monday  morning  a  par- 
ticular table  was  covered  with  a  green  velvet  cloth, 
upon  which  all  who  had  petitions  to  present  came  and 
placed  them.  The  King  seated  himself  in  an  arm- 
chair, received  from  a  secretary  a  list  of  these  peti- 
tions, inspected  the  various  documents,  and  with  his 
own  hand  made  a  note  of  the  minister  to  which  each 
should  be  sent. 

From  the  CEil-de-Bceuf  we  pass  into  the  room  that 
became  the  King's  bedroom  in  1701,  before  which 
date  it  was  a  salon.  This  is  the  central  point  of  the 
Palace,  and  in  some  respects  the  central  point  of  the 
French  Monarchy.  All  the  affairs  of  the  nation  con- 
verged in  this  room,  where  the  ceremonies  of  the 
King's  lever  and  coucher  took  place  every  day,  where 
he  gave  audiences  to  ambassadors  and  to  the  Pope's 
nuncio,  and  where  he  dined  au  petit  convert,  that  is 
to  say,  alone,  on  a  little  square  table  in  front  of  the 

[71] 


VERSAILLES 

central  window.  Many  historical  events  are  asso- 
ciated with  this  room,  one  of  the  most  important  being 
the  solemn  proclamation  of  the  Due  d'Anjou,  Louis 
XIV.'s  grandson,  as  King  of  Spain,  under  the  name 
of  Philippe  V.  (November  16,  1700).  In  the  royal 
chamber,  too,  Louis  XV.  received  the  remonstrances 
of  the  Parliament,  and  gave  all  his  important  audi- 
ences. In  Louis  XVI.'s  time  the  most  famous  audi- 
ence was  the  reception  of  the  Deputies  of  the  States 
General  on  May  2,  1789. 

And  with  what  interest  we  recall,  as  the  most  im- 
portant of  all,  the  events  that  took  place  on  September 
i,  1715!  This  was  the  day  on  which  Louis  XIV. 
died,  in  a  bed  that  stood  on  the  same  spot  as  the  one 
that  we  see  to-day.  Four  days  earlier  the  King  had 
sent  for  the  little  Dauphin,  who  was  about  to  become 
Louis  XV.,  and  had  said  to  him:  "  Do  not  follow  the 
bad  example  that  I  have  given  you  in  the  matter  of 
war:  I  often  entered  upon  it  too  lightly  and  continued 
it  from  vanity.  Do  not  imitate  me,  but  be  pacific,  and 
let  /our  chief  occupation  be  the  relief  of  your  sub- 
jects." The  little  prince  melted  into  tears,  as  did  all 
who  were  present.  The  King  gave  advice  to  each, 
and  when  his  courtiers  by  his  wish  approached  the 
bedside,  he  thanked  them  for  their  faithful  services, 
and  begged  them  to  remember  that  union  is  the 
strength  of  the  State.  He  said  to  Madame  de  Main- 

[73] 


THE  GATEWAY  OF  THE  PALACE,  AND  THE  GRAND  STABLES 


THE   PALACE   AND   APARTMENTS 

tenon :  "  I  have  always  been  told  that  it  is  difficult  to 
die ;  but  I  who  am  on  the  point  of  experiencing  that 
much-dreaded  moment,  do  not  find  it  difficult."  Hav- 
ing seen  in  the  mirrors  that  two  of  his  pages-of-the- 
bedchamber  were  in  tears,  he  said  to  them :  "  Why 
are  you  crying?  Did  you  think  that  I  was  immor- 
tal? "  After  twenty  days  of  illness  he  died  at  the  age 
of  seventy-seven,  having  given  a  fine  example  of 
Christian  courage  and  repentance,  at  the  end  of  a  life 
that  had  not  always  been  edifying. 

The  decorations  of  the  room  are  very  much  as  they 
were  at  the  time  of  Louis  XIV.'s  death :  the  mirrors, 
the  woodwork,  the  large  bas-relief  representing 
France  seated  on  a  pile  of  arms  with  figures  of  Fame 
on  each  side  of  her,  and  the  bar  of  gilded  wood  that 
enclosed  the  King's  alcove,  are  all  old,  and  in  their 
original  places.  The  same  cannot  be  said  for  the  fur- 
niture, which  is  in  the  style  of  Louis  XIWs  time,  but 
is  not  the  same  that  was  formerly  in  the  room.  The 
bed,  notably,  was  remade  in  Louis  Philippe's  day, 
with  fragments  of  tapestry  taken  from  an  old  bed  of 
the  King's.  The  State-counterpane  of  lace  is  also  of 
royal  origin.  It  was  made  about  the  year  1670,  and 
the  pattern  includes  the  monograms  of  the  King  and 
of  Queen  Marie  Therese,  as  well  as  the  shields  of  all 
the  families  allied  with  the  House  of  France.  This 
is  one  of  the  largest  pieces  of  lace  in  existence.  It  is 

[75] 


VERSAILLES 

wrongly  said  to  be  the  work  of  the  young  ladies  at 
Saint-Cyr,  but  that  school  did  not  exist  when  this 
marvellous  piece  of  French  lace  was  made. 

Among  the  works  of  art  in  this  room  two  portraits 
claim  our  attention :  the  marble  bust  by  Coyzrevox  of 
the  young  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne,  from  whose  grace 
and  charm  was  derived  the  happiness  of  the  last  years 
of  Louis  XIV.,  and  the  profile  in  wax  of  the  King 
himself  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight  years,  by  Antoine 
Benoit.  This  celebrated  worker  in  wax  was  in 
possession  of  one  of  his  Majesty's  own  perukes.  He 
has  strikingly  shown  the  haughty  and  imperious  char- 
acter of  the  monarch,  while  accentuating  the  effects 
of  age.  Our  only  means  of  forming  any  complete 
idea  of  the  King  is  to  compare  the  realism  of  this 
old  man's  head  with  the  idealised  portrait  carved 
by  Coyzevox  in  marble,  which  we  saw  in  another 
room. 

Louis  XV.  occupied  this  room,  like  his  great  grand- 
father, until  the  year  1738.  As  it  was  a  difficult  room 
to  heat,  and  the  King  was  apt  to  catch  cold  in  it,  he 
had  a  smaller  and  more  convenient  room  made  be- 
yond it  for  him  to  sleep  in.  But  every  night  he  lay 
down  in  the  State  bed  and  went  through  all  the  eti- 
quette of  the  coucher;  then,  when  the  last  courtier  had 
retired,  he  left  the  room  in  a  dressing-gown,  by  the 
door  on  the  right  side  of  the  bed,  and  proceeded  to 

[76] 


THE  PALACE   AND  APARTMENTS 

his  real  bedroom.  He  returned  in  the  morning  and 
lay  down  again  in  the  bed,  where  the  ceremony  of  the 
lever  took  place,  followed  by  that  of  the  toilet.  This 
fantastic  ceremonial  was  kept  up  by  Louis  XVI. 

No  one  was  allowed  to  pass  the  balustrade  of  the 
royal  alcove;  a  valet  de  chambre  of  the  Inner  Rooms 
guarded  the  bed  all  day.  When  the  ladies  of  the 
Court,  and  even  the  Princess  of  the  Blood,  entered 
the  King's  chambers,  they  made  a  deep  curtsey  before 
his  Majesty's  bed. 

Those  who  are  interested  in  the  memories  of  the 
French  Revolution  will  look  with  emotion  upon  the 
balcony  of  the  King's  room.  On  October  6,  1789, 
when  the  people  of  Paris  invaded  the  Palace,  and 
crowded,  with  threats,  and  with  arms  in  their  hands, 
into  the  Marble  Court  beneath  the  windows  of  the 
royal  apartments,  some  of  the  courtiers  were  stationed 
here,  with  General  Lafayette.  The  latter  went  to 
fetch  the  King,  and  showed  him,  on  this  balcony,  to 
the  people.  Then,  in  her  turn,  the  Queen  was  de- 
manded by  the  populace,  who  were  clamouring  for 
her  death.  She  appeared  with  her  two  children ;  but 
the  crowd  cried  "  No  children  1 "  and  with  a  gesture 
full  of  dignity  and  courage  Marie  Antoinette  put  her 
two  children  behind  her,  and  turned  to  face  the 
muskets  that  were  pointed  at  her,  certain  that  her  last 
hour  had  come.  Her  courageous  bearing  impressed 

[77] 


VERSAILLES 

the  insurgents,  who,  with  one  of  those  sudden  changes 
characteristic  of  French  crowds,  always  ready  to 
respond  to  bravery,  cried:  "Vive  le  Roil  Vive  la 
Reine!  Let  us  take  them  to  Paris!"  Louis  XVI. 
was  then  obliged  to  promise  to  go  off  with  his  people 
at  once.  Preparations  were  hastily  made,  and  a  few 
hours  afterwards  the  royal  family,  with  the  mob  sur- 
rounding their  carriages,  went  on  their  way  to  Paris 
along  the  avenue  that  is  opposite  to  the  Palace,  to 
which  they  were  fated  never  to  return. 

Next  to  the  King's  bedroom,  in  all  the  royal 
chateaux,  was  the  room  known  as  the  King's  Cabinet, 
or  the  Cabinet  of  the  Council.  At  Versailles  the 
Cabinet  covers  the  space  occupied  by  Louis  XIV.'s 
former  Cabinet  and  by  his  peruke-room,  which  used 
to  be  filled  with  a  quantity  of  wigs,  from  among 
which  the  King  chose  one  every  day.  Louis  XV. 
made  the  existing  King's  Cabinet,  in  which  large 
panels  in  the  grand  style  surround  a  very  beautiful 
mirror  and  a  red  marble  chimney-piece  ornamented 
with  bronzes,  one  of  the  most  remarkable  in  the 
Palace.  The  whole  dates  from  1755,  and  the  wood- 
carving  is  by  the  decorative  artist  Rousseau,  whose 
principal  work  this  is.  The  carvings  represent  the 
attributes  of  royalty,  the  sceptre,  and  the  "hand  of 
justice,"  and  the  children  personify  War,  Peace  and 
Commerce.  These  symbols  recall  the  fact  that  the 
[78] 


THE  NORTHERN    PARTERRE  AND  THE  CHAPEL 


THE  PALACE   AND  APARTMENTS 

King  dealt  with  all  the  affairs  of  the  kingdom  in  this 
place,  for  here  he  worked  every  day  with  one  of  his 
ministers,  and  here  he  held  his  Council.  It  was  here 
that,  during  three  reigns,  the  fate  of  all  France  was 
decided,  and,  to  a  certain  extent,  the  fate  of  Europe 
as  well. 

Memories  that  are  less  important,  though  not  less 
interesting  from  the  point  of  view  of  descriptive  his- 
tory, are  connected  with  the  King's  Cabinet.  It  was 
here  that  he  gave  special  audiences,  and  received 
ladies  who  came  to  be  presented  to  him.  A  lady 
could  not  be  admitted  to  the  Court,  or  received  in  the 
King's  carriages,  until  she  had  been  presented.  She 
would  arrive  at  the  Palace  in  a  splendid  equipage  and 
in  full  dress,  and  would  ascend  the  marble  staircase 
accompanied  by  the  lady  who  was  to  present  her  and 
escorted  by  a  number,  more  or  less  large,  of  her 
friends;  she  would  pass  through  the  hall  of  the 
guards,  the  first  ante-room,  the  (Eil-de-Bceuf,  and  the 
King's  room;  then,  on  the  threshold  of  the  Cabinet, 
she  would  make  her  first  curtsey  to  the  King.  At  the 
third  curtsey  the  King  would  sometimes  speak  to  the 
lady  who  was  being  presented;  and  there  was  always 
a  large  number  of  courtiers  who  had  the  curiosity  to 
be  present  at  these  agitating  presentations.  The  most 
celebrated  of  these  was  the  presentation  of  Madame 
du  Barry  in  1769;  never  had  the  ante-rooms  and  the 
[81] 


VERSAILLES 

Cabinets  been  filled  with  so  many  curious  spectators, 
and  never  had  a  prettier  woman  been  presented,  nor 
one  who  wore  more  magnificent  ornaments,  for  on 
the  previous  day  the  King  had  sent  her  a  hundred 
thousand  pounds'  worth  of  diamonds. 

The  door  of  looking-glass  that  opened  into  the 
Grand  Gallery  was  always  kept  closely  shut;  it  was 
never  opened  except  for  the  King  to  pass  through 
from  his  private  apartments  to  the  chapel,  on  cere- 
monious occasions.  The  door  of  his  private  apart- 
ments or  cabinets  is  opposite  the  chimney-piece,  and 
leads  into  rooms  not  open  to  the  public,  all  of  which 
were  built  and  decorated  for  King  Louis  XV.  The 
first  is  the  bedroom  that  he  occupied,  as  we  have  seen, 
after  the  year  1738. 

The  alcove  was  surrounded  by  a  gilded  balustrade, 
and  opened  into  a  charming  cabinet  de  garde  robe, 
which  has  been  preserved.  On  the  walls  of  this 
alcove  there  have  lately  been  hung  three  pieces  of 
Gobelin  tapestry  from  the  precious  series  with  the 
golden  background,  which  represents  the  story  of 
Don  Quixote,  and  is  in  the  same  decorative  style  as 
the  rooms.  The  original  decorations  above  the  doors 
have  been  replaced  by  portraits  of  the  daughters  of 
Louis  XV.,  the  Princesses  Elizabeth,  Henrietta,  and 
Adelaide. 

It  was  in  this  room,  too,  on  May  10,  1774,  that 

[82] 


THE  PALACE   AND  APARTMENTS 

Louis  XV.  died.  A  few  days  earlier  he  had  been 
brought  back,  ill,  from  Trianon.  Contrary  to  his 
habits  he  had  followed  the  hunt  in  a  carriage,  and  in 
the  evening  he  complained  to  Madame  du  Barry  of 
feeling  very  unwell.  The  royal  family  insisted  upon 
his  returning  to  Versailles,  and  three  days  later  it  be- 
came evident  that  he  was  suffering  from  small-pox. 
It  was  the  most  terrible  scourge  of  the  day; 
"Madame  Infante,"  Louis  XV.'s  eldest  daughter, 
had  died  of  it;  and  upon  her  arrival  in  France, 
Madame,  wife  of  the  Comte  de  Provence,  had  been 
attacked  by  it,  though  the  nature  of  her  illness  had 
been  hidden  from  the  King  in  the  fear  of  alarming 
him.  On  May  3,  as  Louis  XV.  was  examining  his 
hands,  he  cried  out:  "  It  is  small-pox  I  Yes — it  is 
small-pox!  "  No  one  answered  him,  but  he  was  well 
aware  of  the  truth.  When,  in  the  evening,  Madame 
du  Barry  came  to  see  him,  he  said  to  her  that  she  must 
go  away,  for  fear  of  making  a  scandal.  As  the 
Comtesse  left  the  room  she  fainted  away.  The  fa- 
vourite went  to  the  Duchesse  d'Aiguillon  at  Rueil, 
where  she  was  kept  informed  of  the  invalid's  condi- 
tion, which  every  day  became  more  serious.  On 
May  7,  Louis  asked  for  his  confessor;  and  two  days 
later  he  received  Extreme  Unction. 

He  had  been  laid  upon  his  camp-bed.     Surpliced 
priests,  holding  lighted  tapers,  surrounded  his  bed 


VERSAILLES 

upon  their  knees.  The  King's  mouth  was  open,  and 
he  was  breathing  heavily;  his  features  were  swollen 
and  seemed  almost  black;  he  was  stifling.  The  many 
people  who  were  present  stood  round,  and  listened  in 
consternation  to  the  prayers  of  the  Bishop  of  Senlis; 
from  time  to  time  a  chaplain  held  up  a  great  crucifix 
before  the  dying  man's  eyes.  In  the  next  room  the 
ministers  could  be  heard  carrying  on  a  discussion  with 
great  bitterness,  while  the  people  without  were 
crowding  into  the  Marble  Court  to  hear  the  proc- 
lamation of  the  King's  death.  It  was  not  until  the 
next  day,  however — Saturday,  May  10 — that  he 
breathed  his  last  after  a  terrible  death-agony,  at  three 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  The  moment  that  the 
monarch's  eyes  were  closed  the  Due  de  Bouillon,  the 
Grand  Chamberlain,  advanced  to  the  barrier  that 
divided  the  CEtl-de-Baeuf  in  two,  and  said  to  the 
waiting  courtiers :  "  Gentlemen,  the  King  is  dead!  " 
This  was  also  the  bedroom  of  Louis  XVI.  Of  the 
incidents  of  this  period  we  will  recall  only  one — one 
that  appeals  especially  to  our  emotions.  The  whole 
royal  family  gathered  here  on  the  tragic  morning  of 
October  6.  The  King  was  surrounded  by  the  Comte 
and  Comtesse  de  Provence,  the  Comte  and  Comtesse 
d'Artois,  Madame  Elizabeth,  and  the  Queen,  who 
had  come  hither  by  way  of  the  private  passages, 
Madame  de  Tourzel,  the  governess  of  the  children  of 


THE  CHAPEL 


THE  PALACE  AND  APARTMENTS 

France,  had  hastily  brought  the  Dauphin,  with  his 
sister  Madame  Royale.  Here  is  the  window  from 
behind  whose  curtains  the  Queen  watched,  during 
long  hours,  the  threatening  movements  of  the  crowd 
in  the  Marble  Court,  while  she  stroked  the  Dauphin's 
fair  hair;  for  the  child,  having  been  taken  from  his 
bed  without  breakfast,  and  understanding  nothing  of 
what  was  taking  place  was  continuously  murmuring: 
"  Mamma,  I  am  hungry!  "  And  here  is  the  door  of 
the  Council  Room,  through  which  Lafayette  entered 
when  he  came  to  fetch  their  Majesties,  first  one  and 
then  the  other,  to  show  them  to  the  people  from  the 
balcony  of  which  we  have  already  spoken,  and  which 
is  visible  from  here. 

The  Salon  de  la  Pendule,  into  which  we  now  pass, 
is  the  first  room  in  the  King's  private  suite,  and  takes 
its  name  from  the  clock  by  Passemant  and  Dauthiau, 
which  is  a  masterpiece  of  mechanism  and  of  the 
clockmaker's  art.  The  bronzes  are  signed  by 
Caffieri,  the  great  artist  in  this  genre  of  whom  this 
is  perhaps  the  most  important  production,  and  who 
may  be  so  thoroughly  studied  in  London  through  his 
works  in  the  Wallace  collection.  The  style  harmon- 
ises with  the  ornamentation  of  the  mirrors  and  of  the 
woodwork,  which  is  by  Verberckt.  The  other  works 
of  art  in  this  room  are  a  bust  of  Louis  XV.  as  a  child 
by  Coyzevox,  and  a  bronze  model  by  Bouchardon  of 


VERSAILLES 

an  equestrian  statue  of  Louis  XV.,  which  once  stood 
in  the  square  in  Paris  now  known  as  the  Place  de  la 
Concorde,  but  formerly  called  the  Place  Louis  XV. 
This  famous  statue  was  destroyed  during  the  Revolu- 
tion. 

On  five  tables  of  stucco,  supported  by  brackets  of 
carved  wood,  are  depicted  scenes  in  the  Grand  Park 
of  Versailles,  and  in  the  forests  of  Marly,  St.  Ger- 
main, Compiegne  and  Fontainebleau.  It  was  on 
these  tables  that  Louis  XV.  and  Louis  XVI.  gave  to 
the  Master  of  the  Royal  Hounds  and  his  lieutenant 
their  instructions  with  regard  to  the  chase. 

The  memory  of  the  royal  hunting  expeditions  is 
also  associated  with  the  next  room,  which  is  called 
the  Cabinet  des  Chiens.  The  friezes  of  stucco  round 
the  ceiling  represent  scenes  in  the  hunting  of  the  stag 
and  the  wild  boar.  The  King  kept  his  favourite  dogs 
here  in  special  niches.  This  room  served  as  an  ante- 
chamber to  the  entrance  to  the  little  staircase.  This 
staircase  is  protected  by  a  wrought-iron  railing  with 
the  King's  monogram,  and  leads  to  the  small  suite  of 
rooms  formerly  used  by  Louis  XV.,  including  his 
library,  his  workshop,  his  small  kitchens  and  his  still- 
room.  A  part  of  this  suite  was  arranged  for  the  ac- 
commodation, near  the  King,  of  his  last  favourite, 
Madame  la  Comtesse  du  Barry. 

It  was  by  this  staircase  that  the  King  left  his  rooms 
[88] 


THE   PALACE   AND  APARTMENTS 

every  day  when  he  went  out.  On  January  5,  1757, 
he  had  just  descended  these  stairs  and  was  on  the  point 
of  stepping  into  his  carriage  at  the  corner  of  the 
Royal  Court,  when  he  was  struck  with  a  dagger  by 
the  murderer  Damiens.  The  King,  who  thought  his 
wound  was  mortal,  was  carried  up  the  same  staircase 
to  his  room,  surrounded  by  his  agitated  courtiers. 

The  Cabinet  des  Chiens  opens  into  Louis  XV.'s 
dining-hall,  which  was  also  that  of  Louis  XVI.,  and 
was  sometimes  used  for  intimate  gatherings  of  the 
royal  family. 

The  eight  pictures  on  Sevres  porcelain,  which  have 
been  brought  back  to  the  place  they  formerly  oc- 
cupied, represent  scenes  from  the  hunts  of  Louis 
XVI.,  and  are  similar  in  design  to  the  great  composi- 
tions of  Oudry,  which  were  carried  out  in  Gobelin 
tapestry,  and  depicted  the  hunts  of  Louis  XV.  This 
is  the  most  valuable  collection  in  existence  of  pictures 
painted  at  Sevres.  The  French  windows  open  on  a 
balcony  that  encircles  the  Cour  des  Cerfs.  This  in- 
ner court,  so  called  on  account  of  the  stags'  heads  in 
plaster  with  which  it  was  formerly  decorated,  was 
connected  with  all  the  rooms  of  the  King's  suite,  and 
was  overlooked  by  no  others. 

The  Salon  at  the  corner  of  the  Marble  Court  and 
the  Royal  Court  was  the  King's  private  sitting-room. 
The  carvings  here  are  in  the  best  style  of  the  period 

[89] 


VERSAILLES 

of  Louis  XV.  From  the  balcony  the  King  watched 
the  funeral  procession  of  Madame  de  Pompadour 
disappearing  along  the  Avenue  de  Paris,  on  April 
1 6,  1764.  It  was  nearly  dark,  and  the  weather  was 
extremely  bad ;  but  the  King  stood  bareheaded  in  the 
storm  until  the  last  torches  of  the  procession  had 
vanished.  It  has  been  recorded  by  eye-witnesses  that 
his  eyes  were  overflowing  with  tears,  and  he  said  to 
those  who  were  with  him:  "  Alas!  I  have  lost  one 
who  has  been  my  friend  for  twenty  years,  and  this  is 
the  only  mark  of  respect  that  I  can  pay  her! "  This 
well-authenticated  saying  is  very  different  from  the 
heartless  words  put  into  the  King's  mouth  by  various 
imaginative  historians,  and  too  often  repeated. 

One  of  the  most  important  scenes  in  the  celebrated 
affair  of  the  necklace,  in  Louis  XVI.'s  reign,  was  en- 
acted here.  On  August  15,  1785,  the  King  and 
Queen  summoned  the  Cardinal  de  Rohan  to  appear 
before  them,  at  the  very  moment  when,  as  Grand 
Almoner  of  France,  he  was  about  to  celebrate  at  Ver- 
sailles the  solemn  festival  of  the  Assumption.  He 
was  accused  of  having  made  use  of  the  Queen's  signa- 
ture as  a  means  of  obtaining  the  diamond  necklace. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  he  had  been  duped  by  Madame 
de  La  Motte,  who  had  taken  advantage  of  his 
credulity  to  use  him  as  her  tool,  and  had  appropriated 
the  jewel  herself.  As  Marie  Antoinette,  who  de- 
[90] 


THE  "DYING  GAUL 


THE  PALACE   AND   APARTMENTS 

tested  the  cardinal,  had  no  doubt  of  his  guilt,  she 
attacked  him  with  terrible  violence  in  the  King's 
presence;  and  the  cardinal,  who  was  alarmed,  and, 
moreover,  understood  nothing  of  the  matter,  for  he 
imagined  he  had  been  acting  on  a  secret  order  from 
the  Queen,  did  not  know  what  to  answer.  The  King 
promptly  gave  orders  for  his  arrest  to  the  captain  of 
the  guard,  and  as  he  left  the  royal  apartments  he  was 
taken  prisoner  in  his  pontifical  robes  in  the  presence 
of  the  Court,  which  had  assembled  for  the  ceremony, 
and  was  led  under  a  strong  guard  to  the  Bastille. 
This  was  the  beginning  of  the  famous  scandal. 
Marie  Antoinette  was  as  innocent  in  the  affair  as  the 
cardinal,  but  none  the  less  the  disgrace  of  it  fell  upon 
the  unfortunate  Queen. 

OBeyond  this  room,  in  a  part  of  the  Palace  that  is 
not  open  to  the  public,  are  the  rooms  of  Madame 
Adelaide,  which  the  King  had  had  made  near  his 
own,  on  account  of  his  affectionate  and  fatherly  feel- 
ing for  the  most  intelligent  of  the  daughters  who  re- 
mained to  him.  One  of  the  rooms  was  turned  into  a 
library  for  Louis  XVI.  In  another  there  are  some 
extremely  rich  bas-reliefs  representing  symbols  of 
the  chase  and  of  the  art  of  fishing,  and  groups  of 
musical  instruments.  This  is  still  called  Madame 
Adelaide's  music-room. 
After  having  been  brought  thus  closely  in  touch 

[93] 


VERSAILLES 

with  the  memories  of  the  eighteenth  century,  we  re- 
turn to  the  Galerie  des  Glaces,  and  entering  the  Salon 
de  la  Guerre,  we  find  ourselves  once  more  surrounded 
by  the  splendour  of  Louis  XIV.'s  Court. 

The  Salon  de  la  Guerre  was  built  at  the  same  time 
as  the  Gallery,  and  is  decorated  with  paintings  by 
Charles  Le  Brun,  the  King's  Chief  Painter.  On  the 
ceiling  France  is  represented  surrounded  by  figures 
of  Victory  bearing  laurels,  of  supporting  tablets  in- 
scribed with  the  triumphs  of  Turenne  over  the  Ger- 
mans. The  subjects  of  the  four  divisions  of  the  roof 
are  Germany,  Holland,  and  Spain — all  vanquished 
— and  the  goddess  Bellona  in  wrath.  The  large  bas- 
relief  on  the  mantel-piece  represents  the  King  on 
horseback,  after  a  victory.  It  is  by  Coyzevox,  and  is 
made  of  stucco;  for  though  it  was  intended  to  repro- 
duce it  in  marble  the  design  was  never  carried  out. 
The  bronze  trophies  fastened  upon  the  marble  are  as 
remarkable  as  those  in  the  Gallery  and  in  the  Salon 
de  la  Paix.  Six  busts  of  Roman  emperors  in  col- 
oured marble,  with  heads  of  porphyry,  stand  upon 
pedestals,  which  are  also  coloured.  These  are  the 
busts  of  Italian  workmanship  that  were  bequeathed 
by  Cardinal  Mazarin  to  Louis  XIV. 

The  King's  State  Apartments  begin  here.  In  these 
Louis  XIV.  gathered  together,  on  certain  days,  the 
brilliant  Court  described  in  the  letters  of  Madame 

[94] 


THE  PALACE   AND  APARTMENTS 

de  Sevigne  and  in  the  memoirs  of  the  time.  There 
were  rooms  devoted  to  music,,  to  dancing,  to  card- 
playing,  and  to  refreshment.  These  rooms  are  still 
decorated  with  the  magnificent  marbles  originally 
placed  in  them,  and  they  also  have  the  doors  of  carved 
and  gilded  wood  that  were  made  by  the  first  wood- 
carver  of  the  family  of  Caffieri. 

Each  room  was  dedicated  to  one  of  the  planets,  in 
allusion  to  the  King's  emblem,  the  Sun,  which  we 
may  see  at  every  turn,  both  painted  and  carved.  The 
fine,  well-preserved  ceilings,  with  their  compart- 
ments of  gilded  stucco  in  the  Italian  style,  represent, 
in  each  salon,  the  planet  to  which  it  is  dedicated. 
The  first,  painted  by  Delafosse,  is  that  of  the  Hall  of 
Apollo,  and  the  god  of  light  is  surrounded  by  the 
seasons  and  the  twelve  months  of  the  year.  It  is  in- 
tended to  replace  the  old  tapestries  forming  part  of 
the  series  woven  at  the  manufactory  of  the  Gobelins, 
and  called  the  History  of  King  Louis  XIV.,  a  process 
of  restitution  that  has  happily  been  already  begun  in 
the  next  salon,  enabling  us  to  see  the  original  decora- 
tion of  these  rooms,  which  were  formerly  hung 
with  the  most  beautiful  tapestry  belonging  to  the 
Crown. 

The  tapestry  that  has  been  restored  to  the  Hall  of 
Mercury  represents  episodes  in  the  campaign  of 
Louis  XIV.  in  Flanders,  after  paintings  by  Le  Brun 

[95] 


VERSAILLES 

and  Van  der  Meulen.  The  ceiling,  painted  by  J.  B. 
de  Champaigne,  depicts  Mercury  in  a  car  drawn  by 
two  cocks,  surrounded  by  the  figures  of  Vigilance, 
Skill,  Science,  Industry,  and  Music.  Here,  as  in  the 
Gallery,  there  was  some  magnificent  furniture  of  sil- 
ver; and  as  the  room  contained  a  State  bed,  there  was 
a  silver  balustrade  surrounding  it,  of  which  the  cost 
was  a  hundred  and  forty  thousand  livres. 

The  Hall  of  Mars,  of  which  the  central  part  of  the 
ceiling  is  by  Audran,  was  sometimes  used  as  a  ball- 
room, and  sometimes  as  a  cardroom.  For  a  long 
time  there  were,  to  the  right  and  left  of  the  mantel- 
piece, two  seats  of  marble,  upon  which  sat  the  musi- 
cians who  used  to  play  the  airs  of  Lulli,  Couperin,  or 
Rameau,  at  the  Court  dances. 

In  the  Hall  of  Diana  there  was  a  large  billiard- 
table,  which  was  used  on  the  days  of  the  grand  ap- 
partement,  or  great  receptions.  This  was  a  game 
that  Louis  XIV.  enjoyed  very  much,  because  he 
played  it  well.  The  ladies  watched  the  game  seated 
on  platforms  covered  with  Persian  carpet.  There 
were  four  silver  tubs  containing  orange-trees,  and 
four  large  silver  chandeliers  hung  from  the  ceiling. 
The  painting  on  this  ceiling  is  by  Blanchard,  and 
represents  Diana  surrounded  by  Slumber  and 
Dreams.  The  whole  hall  is  faced  with  marble,  with 
large  ornaments  of  chased  and  gilded  copper. 

[96] 


THE  SALON  OF  PEACE 


THE  PALACE  AND  APARTMENTS 

The  portraits  of  Louis  XIV.  by  Riguad,  and  of  his 
wife  Marie  Therese  by  Beaubrun,  are  sunk  into  the 
decoration  of  the  room ;  but  the  most  important  work 
of  art  is  the  bust  of  Louis  XIV.  as  a  young  man,  which 
was  done  by  the  Cavalier  Bernini,  at  the  time  when 
the  famous  Italian  artist  was  staying  at  the  Court  of 
France,  where  he  was  received  with  every  mark  of 
honour.  This  bust,  although  of  skilful  workman- 
ship, is  nevertheless  very  inferior  to  the  French  busts 
of  the  same  period. 

In  the  Hall  of  Venus,  as  in  the  preceding  room,  the 
mural  decoration  and  the  marbles  of  the  time  of 
Louis  XIV.  have  been  preserved  intact.  The  paint- 
ing, moreover,  is  so  arranged  as  to  give  the  effect  of 
carrying  on  the  lines  of  the  architecture.  On  the 
ceiling,  by  Houasse,  we  see  Venus  crowned  by  the 
Graces,  and  receiving  from  Vulcan  the  arms  that  she 
bade  him  forge  for  her.  In  the  niche  there  is  still 
standing  the  statue  that  was  originally  ordered  to  fill 
it,  in  which  Warin  has  represented  Louis  XIV.  as  a 
Roman  Emperor. 

The  whole  hall  is  panelled  with  great  mosaics  com- 
posed of  the  most  beautiful  marbles,  and  it  is  notice- 
able that  the  workmanship  in  these  was  of  so  high  an 
order  that  there  are  no  cracks  between  the  pieces, 
after  about  two  centuries  and  a  half.  Especial  care 
was  devoted  to  the  appearance  of  this  hall,  which  for- 

[99] 


VERSAILLES 

merly,  by  one  of  the  doors  at  the  end,  opened  upon 
the  Ambassadors'  Staircase,  the  principal  approach 
to  the  Palace. 

In  the  Hall  of  Abundance  there  is  nothing  remark- 
able but  the  ceiling,  on  which  is  painted  the  Abund- 
ance or  Splendour  of  royalty.  On  the  painted  balus- 
trade are  depicted  various  vases  and  objects  of  value 
formerly  belonging  to  the  King.  They  formed  part 
of  the  collection  of  curiosities  that  was  kept  in  the 
room  close  at  hand.  This  room  was  altered  in  Louis 
XV.'s  time,  and  now  contains  nothing  but  an  inter- 
esting series  of  military  drawings  by  Van  Blaren- 
berghe. 

Another  door  opens,  and  we  find  ourselves  in  a 
huge  hall,  lighted  by  six  large  windows,  and  entirely 
panelled  with  marble  and  decorated  with  gilded 
carvings  of  great  power.  The  enormous  marble 
chimney-piece  by  Autin  is  loaded  with  bronzes,  in 
the  middle  of  which  is  a  head  of  Hercules,  covered 
with  the  lion's  skin.  We  are  in  the  famous  Hall  of 
Hercules,  and  the  ceiling,  which  measures  18  metres 
50,  by  17  metres,  represents  the  apotheosis  of  Her- 
cules and  his  reception  among  the  gods  of  Olympus. 
This  painting,  which  is  the  work  of  Louis  XV.'s  first 
painter  Lemoyne,  and  is  his  masterpiece,  was  com- 
pleted in  the  six  years  between  1729  and  1736.  It  is 
the  largest  surface  that  has  ever  been  covered  by  a 
[100] 


THE  PALACE   AND  APARTMENTS 

single  composition  in  France.  It  is  said  that  the 
painter  was  greatly  complimented  by  the  King  and 
Court  when  his  work,  so  long  hidden  by  scaffolding, 
was  disclosed  to  view;  but  his  expenses  in  colours 
and  accessories  had  been  so  high  that  the  honorarium 
of  ten  thousand  ecus  did  not  cover  them.  He  had 
spent  twenty-four  thousand  francs  in  ultramarine 
alone!  The  unfortunate  artist,  not  daring  to  put  for- 
ward any  claim,  killed  himself  in  despair. 

In  the  Hall  of  Hercules  there  are  now  two  pictures 
other  than  those  that  were  originally  placed  there;  a 
portrait  by  Mignard  above  the  chimney-piece,  of 
Louis  XIV.  on  horseback;  and  facing  it  The  Cross- 
ing  of  the  Rhine,  an  old  design  for  Gobelin  tapestry 
copied  in  the  time  of  Louis  Philippe,  which  is  very 
effective  in  its  present  position.  But  we  cannot  help 
deploring  the  loss  of  the  picture  that  was  formerly 
here,  the  Feast  at  the  House  of  Simon  the  Pharisee, 
by  Paul  Veronese,  which  is  now  in  the  Salon  Carre 
in  the  Louvre.  For  this  great  picture,  presented  to 
Louis  XIV.  by  the  Republic  of  Venice,  the  carver 
Vasse  made  the  large  carved  frame  that  is  still  to  be 
seen. 

This  room,  which  was  the  State  ballroom  of  Louis 
XV.'s  Court,  was  last  used  as  a  theatre  when  the 
Emperor  and  Empress  of  Russia  stayed  here  for  a 
day  in  1896.  The  style  of  its  architecture  is  that  of 

[101] 


VERSAILLES 

Louis  XIV.'s  time,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  it  was 
built  at  a  later  date.  As  in  Mansart's  day,  marble  is 
the  principal  material  used  for  decoration;  but  this 
was  the  last  time  that  it  was  employed  at  Versailles 
in  large  quantities. 

There  is  a  very  striking  contrast  between  this  hall 
and  the  large  room  that  is  next  to  it,  which  is  very 
sober  in  its  dignity,  and  is  remarkable  for  its  unique 
combination  of  white  stone  with  the  gold  of  the  dec- 
orated doors.  This  unexpected  simplicity  fills  the 
mind  with  serious  thoughts,  and  prepares  it  for  the 
chastened  magnificence  of  the  chapel.  Upon  the 
central  doors,  the  leaves  of  which  are  richly  orna- 
mented with  the  royal  monogram,  and  lily  branches, 
and  the  arms  of  France,  are  locks  which  are  real 
triumphs  in  the  art  of  chasing.  When  the  leaves  of 
this  door  are  opened,  giving  access  to  the  royal  gal- 
lery, the  eye  is  dazzled  by  the  shining  depths  of  the 
white  nave. 

The  chapel  is  built  in  two  stories.  On  the  ground- 
floor,  which  is  covered  with  a  pavement  of  rich 
marble  mosaic,  square  piers  support  a  row  of  arches, 
above  which  are  the  great  bays  of  the  galleries, 
marked  by  fluted  columns  supporting  the  roof.  A 
banister  of  violet  marble,  resting  on  a  gilt  railing,  en- 
circles all  the  galleries.  Through  the  large  win- 
dows, whose  white  panes  are  merely  framed  in 

[102] 


THE  WALK  OF  CERES 


THE  PALACE   AND   APARTMENTS 

coloured  glass,  the  whole  of  this  fabric  of  white  stone 
is  flooded  with  light. 

The  paintings  of  the  vaulted  roof  are  all  in  fresco. 
In  the  centre  Antoine  Coypel  has  depicted  the  Eter- 
nal Father  in  His  Glory,  surrounded  by  groups  of 
angels  carrying  the  instruments  of  the  Passion.  It  is 
an  unfortunate  imitation  of  the  most  overloaded  ceil- 
ings in  the  churches  of  the  Italian  decadence.  Jou- 
venet,  in  his  Descent  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  above  the 
King's  Gallery,  and  Delafosse,  who  has  filled  the 
apse  with  a  Resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ,  are  less 
obtrusive.  The  other  paintings  are  not  worth  men- 
tioning, especially  as  we  cannot  give  too  much  ad- 
miration to  the  decorative  sculpture,  which  is  a  real 
triumph  of  French  art. 

Everywhere  there  are  bas-reliefs  of  angels,  of 
trophies,  of  graceful  and  ingenious  symbols  relating 
to  religious  subjects,  covering  the  whole  surface  of 
the  stone  in  a  wealth  of  happy  design.  All  the  sculp- 
tors of  the  day,  notably  Van-Cleve  and  the  two 
brothers  Coustou,  contributed  to  this  scheme  of  deco- 
ration, which  is  unique  on  account  of  its  extent  as 
well  as  of  its  perfection.  Every  ornament  in  the 
chapel  should  be  studied  in  detail.  It  will  be  ob- 
served, by  the  way,  that  the  royal  fleur-de-lys  was 
nearly  everywhere  defaced  during  the  revolutionary 
periods. 


VERSAILLES 

This  building,  the  most  beautiful  and  harmonious 
church  of  its  day,  arose  between  the  years  1699  and 
1710,  in  accordance  with  the  designs  of  Mansart,  and 
under  the  superintendence  of  his  brother-in-law  and 
successor,  Robert  de  Cotte.  It  was  the  last  addition 
to  the  Versailles  of  Louis  XIV.  In  1715,  five  years 
after  it  was  opened,  was  celebrated  the  solemn  funeral 
service  of  the  monarch  whom  France,  in  the  days  of 
his  triumphs,  had  named  the  Grand  Roi. 

The  large  gallery  was  reserved  for  the  King  and 
the  royal  family.  Louis  XIV.  and  Madame  de 
Maintenon  occupied  the  corners  of  this  gallery, 
where,  the  better  to  carry  on  their  devotions,  they 
were  isolated  in  a  niche  with  a  grating  of  gilded 
wood.  The  rest  of  the  Court  sat  in  the  side  galleries, 
and  the  King's  Choir,  both  instrumentalists  and  sing- 
ers, were  all  together  in  the  organ-loft.  On  the  days 
of  solemn  festivals  the  King  heard  mass  at  the  foot  of 
the  altar,  on  a  throne  prepared  for  the  purpose. 

The  funeral  services  of  all  the  princes  and  prin- 
cesses of  the  House  of  France  were  celebrated  in  this 
chapel  until  the  year  1789,  as  were  also  all  the  mar- 
riages of  the  royal  family,  and  all  those  in  which  the 
King  and  Queen  honoured  the  bride  and  bridegroom 
by  signing  the  register.  Among  the  royal  marriages 
we  may  here  picture  the  one  that  took  place  in  1770, 
between  Louis,  Dauphin  of  France,  and  Marie  Antoi- 
[106] 


THE  PALACE   AND   APARTMENTS 

nette,  Archduchess  of  Austria,  which  was  celebrated 
with  unparalleled  splendour.  Neither  of  them,  how- 
ever, was  brought  here  for  the  rites  of  burial,  for  they 
were  buried  in  the  common  trench  in  Paris,  in  the 
Cemetery  of  the  Madeleine,  after  suffering  upon  the 
scaffold. 

The  long  stone  gallery,  containing  casts  of  busts 
and  historical  tombs,  leads  to  the  rooms  of  the  modern 
Museum.  Before  the  Revolution  there  were  doors 
opening  into  it  from  the  fine  suites  of  rooms  inhabited 
by  the  Court,  the  windows  of  which  looked  over  the 
gardens.  The  King  and  his  Court  followed  this  gal- 
lery to  the  end  of  the  wings  in  order  to  reach  the 
Palace  theatre.  This  great  hall,  which  did  not  exist 
in  Louis  XIV.'s  day,  was  built  by  Gabriel  between 
the  years  1753  and  1770.  It  was  a  long  and  difficult 
work,  and  was  barely  finished  in  time  for  the  festivi- 
ties connected  with  the  wedding  of  the  Dauphin, 
afterwards  Louis  XVI.  It  is  the  most  beautiful 
theatre  imaginable,  with  its  happy  proportions,  its 
rich  ornamentation,  and  the  bas-reliefs  placed  by 
Pajou  along  the  boxes  and  on  the  walls  of  the  foyer. 
The  woodwork  here  was  formerly  painted  to  imitate 
verd-antique,  which  harmonised  with  the  blue  vel- 
vet of  the  hangings.  In  the  time  of  Louis  Philippe 
it  was  all  repainted  in  a  reddish  colour,  and  the 
establishment  here  of  the  National  Assembly  in  1871 


VERSAILLES 

completed  the  disfigurement  of  this  marvel  of  French 
architecture.  Although  now  devoted  to  the  use  of 
the  French  Senate  it  is  still  worthy  of  a  visit,  for  it 
was  the  keystone  of  the  old  life  of  the  Court  of 
France,  in  which  the  theatre,  and  more  especially  the 
opera,  filled  so  large  a  place. 

If  the  visitor  desires  to  seek  out  the  other  memories 
that  are  associated  with  the  old  rooms,  there  is 
nothing  left  for  him  to  see  but  those  of  the  ground 
floor,  the  suites  formerly  used,  in  Louis  XV.'s  time, 
by  the  Dauphin  and  Dauphine,  and  now  occupied  by 
the  Museum.  We  shall  find  these  memories  here 
and  there  as  we  examine  the  various  works  of  art  con- 
tained in  the  Museum ;  but  these  rooms  have  not,  like 
those  of  the  first  floor,  kept  the  actual  appearance  of 
their  original  state,  having  been  too  much  disfigured 
in  the  days  of  Louis  Philippe. 


[I08] 


THE   MUSEUM   OF   FRENCH   HISTORY 


®HEN  the  Revolution  of  1789  broke  out, 
half  the  population  of  the  town  of  Ver- 
sailles disappeared  as  though  by  magic; 
all  who  were  connected  with  the  Court  had 
followed  the  King  to  Paris,  or  had  emigrated  to  va- 
rious foreign  countries.  The  tradesmen  who  supplied 
the  Chateau  were  ruined,  and  the  town  was  threatened 
with  the  removal  from  the  Palace  of  all  the  works  of 
art  that  adorned  it.  Soon,  in  1793,  the  sale  of  the 
royal  effects  took  place,  and  throughout  a  whole  year 
the  vast  rooms  of  the  Palace  were  transformed  into 
shops,  for  the  disposal  of  the  furniture,  china,  jewels, 
and  objects  of  every  'description,  with  which  Ver- 
sailles and  the  royal  dwellings  of  the  neighbourhood 
were  equipped.  It  was  at  that  time  that  various 
merchants  and  foreign  collectors  became  possessed, 
for  next  to  nothing,  of  admirable  specimens  of  the 
royal  furniture  of  France,  of  which  a  great  number 
are  to  be  found  in  England. 


VERSAILLES 

There  was  a  risk  of  the  Palace  being  included  in 
the  general  sale  of  the  ancient  possessions  of  the 
French  Crown,  in  which  case  the  demesne  would 
have  been  divided  and  destroyed  forever.  Owing  to 
the  good  offices  of  certain  intelligent  men  Versailles 
was  preserved  for  the  nation,  and  the  government  of 
the  Directory  began  to  establish  a  museum  of  pictures 
of  the  French  School  in  the  State  apartments.  Dur- 
ing the  Consulate  the  old  apartments  in  the  wings 
were  turned  into  an  annexe  to  the  Hotel  des  In- 
valides,  and  were  inhabited  by  hundreds  of  veterans, 
to  the  great  detriment  of  the  Palace.  As  for  the  gar- 
dens, they  went  altogether  to  ruin.  Napoleon  re- 
paired the  water-conduits,  and  not  only  thought  of 
restoring  the  buildings,  but  even  of  carrying  out 
Louis  XV.'s  plan  of  general  reconstruction.  He 
even  dreamt  of  living  there. 

On  the  restoration  of  the  Monarchy  the  idea  arose 
of  replacing  Versailles  in  its  original  position  as  a 
royal  residence;  Louis  XVIII.,  in  the  intention  of 
living  there,  caused  the  pavilion  corresponding  to 
Gabriel's  Wing  to  be  finished,  and  the  Chapel  to  be 
restored.  But  it  was  not  till  King  Louis  Philippe 
came  to  the  throne  that  the  fate  of  Versailles  was 
finally  decided,  and  it  was  consecrated,  in  the  form 
of  a  Museum,  to  the  glories  and  memories  of  France. 
It  will  be  of  interest  to  record  here,  in  the  words  of  a 
[no] 


MUSEUM   OF  FRENCH    HISTORY 

contemporary  witness,  the  prevailing  idea  in  this 
great  work,  and  the  way  it  was  carried  out: 

"To  consecrate  the  venerable  dwelling  of  Louis 
XIV.  to  all  the  glories  of  France,  and  to  unite  within 
its  precincts  all  the  great  memories  of  our  history, 
such  was  the  scheme  personally  conceived  by  His 
Majesty.  But  at  that  time  the  Palace  of  Versailles 
contained  neither  pictures  nor  statues;  the  ceilings 
alone  had  been  restored.  The  King  gave  orders  that 
the  depots  of  the  Crown  and  the  royal  residences 
should  be  searched  for  all  pictures,  statues,  busts,  or 
bas-reliefs  representing  events  or  personages  cele- 
brated in  our  annals,  as  well  as  all  works  of  art  hav- 
ing any  historical  interest.  Works  of  which  the 
greater  number  were  remarkable,  but  which  had  long 
been  forgotten  in  the  storerooms  of  the  Louvre  and 
in  the  garrets  of  the  Gobelins,  were  dragged  from 
the  dust;  others,  scattered  here  and  there  in  various 
palaces,  were  gathered  together  at  Versailles;  and 
finally  the  same  care  was  employed  in  collecting  all 
that  had  been  produced  by  modern  painting  and 
sculpture.  These  various  collections,  however,  were 
very  far  from  sufficing  for  the  accomplishment  of 
the  scheme  conceived  by  His  Majesty;  for  neither 
every  great  man  nor  yet  every  great  event  in  our  his- 
tory was  represented  in  this  collection  drawn  from 
different  epochs.  The  King  supplied  this  want  by 

[in] 


VERSAILLES 

ordering  from  our  most  distinguished  artists  a  con- 
siderable number  of  pictures,  statues,  and  busts, 
which  were  destined  to  complete  the  magnificent 
gathering  of  all  that  is  most  illustrious  in  the  history 
of  France." 

This  transformation  of  Versailles,  which  added 
greatly  to  the  popularity  of  the  Monarchy  of  1830, 
was  the  personal  achievement  of  Louis  Philippe. 
He  ordered  pictures  commemorating  episodes  in 
French  history  from  a  whole  legion  of  artists,  to- 
gether with  busts  and  statues  of  the  principal  per- 
sonages figuring  in  that  history;  and  he  generously 
paid  for  all  the  work  from  his  private  purse. 

This  part  of  his  achievement,  the  least  interesting 
to-day,  was  completed  by  a  much  more  interesting 
collection  of  ancient  documents,  brought  together 
from  all  parts;  of  portraits  from  the  ancient  royal 
collections,  and  canvases  ordered  by  the  Emperor 
Napoleon  to  commemorate  the  events  of  his  reign; 
and  of  pictures  belonging  to  various  families,  who 
were  glad  to  offer  them  to  Louis  Philippe  in  their 
pride  at  seeing  the  portraits  of  their  ancestors  figur- 
ing in  the  new  Museum.  It  is  from  this  enormous 
mass  of  materials,  all  of  which  have  an  important 
bearing  either  upon  Art  or  upon  History,  that  the 
new  administration  of  the  Museum  has  drawn  the 
chief  elements  in  the  interesting  and  instructive 
[112] 


STATUE  OF  GENERAL  HOCHE 


MUSEUM   OF   FRENCH    HISTORY 

rooms,  of  which  so  many  have  been  opened  during 
the  last  ten  years. 

In  the  establishment  of  the  Museum,  between  the 
years  1833  and  1837,  it  was  thought  necessary  to 
sacrifice  a  large  number  of  decorative  objects,  such 
as  wood-carvings,  bronzes,  and  marble  chimney- 
pieces,  with  which  the  wings  and  the  ground-floor 
of  the  body  of  the  Palace  were  filled.  The  losses 
under  this  head  can  never  be  repaired.  It  would 
have  been  possible,  with  a  little  feeling  for  the  things 
of  the  past,  to  preserve  a  much  greater  number;  but 
no  one  at  that  time  cared  for  the  art  of  Louis 
XIV.  and  Louis  XV.,  which  had  quite  gone  out  of 
fashion. 

The  Museum  was  solemnly  inaugurated  on  June 
10,  1837,  in  the  presence  of  the  royal  family  and  of 
all  the  great  governmental  bodies.  The  opening 
was  celebrated  by  grand  fetes,  and  from  that  day 
forward  the  Museum,  which  has  been  from  time  to 
time  enriched  by  more  modern  memories,  has  been 
one  of  the  most  popular  in  France.  The  present 
reorganisation,  while  respecting  the  original  idea, 
has  brought  into  special  prominence  the  objects  of 
special  merit,  and  has  shown  that  the  Museum  con- 
tains the  elements,  not  only  of  a  great  historical  pic- 
ture gallery  for  the  people,  but  also  of  a  collection  of 
works  of  art  that  are  historically  interesting,  and  are 


VERSAILLES 

worthy  on  account  of  their  beauty  to  figure  honour- 
ably among  the  admirable  and  ancient  decorations 
of  Versailles. 

The  most  ancient  series  of  representations  of 
French  history  must  be  looked  for  on  the  second 
floor  of  the  north  wing.  They  begin  with  some  por- 
traits of  the  fifteenth  century,  in  the  middle  of  which 
is  a  picture  on  wood  representing  Joan  of  Arc  in 
armour,  and  the  archangel  St.  Michael  at  the  feet  of 
the  Virgin;  it  is  said  to  have  been  painted  during 
the  captivity  of  the  Maid  of  Orleans.  Some  little 
panels  carefully  painted  by  Corneille  de  Lyon,  and 
the  school  of  the  Clouets,  represent  the  princes, 
ladies,  and  famous  personages  at  the  Count  of  the 
House  of  Valois.  Next,  with  Henry  IV.,  come  the 
portraits  of  the  Bourbons  and  their  contemporaries. 
Near  Louis  XIII.  and  Anne  of  Austria  are  fourteen 
curious  paintings  from  the  Chateau  de  Richelieu, 
depicting  the  military  campaigns  of  the  great  Car- 
dinal, whose  portrait-  was  painted  by  Philippe  de 
Champaigne. 

When  we  reach  the  period  of  Louis  XIV.  the 
series  of  works  of  art  are  multiplied  to  an  incredible 
degree;  they  are  to  be  found  in  various  places  be- 
yond the  second-floor  rooms  mentioned  above,  and 
in  the  State  Apartments  of  the  first  floor,  and  finally 
in  the  rooms  formerly  used  by  Madame  de  Main- 
[116] 


MUSEUM   OF  FRENCH    HISTORY 

tenon.  In  the  State  Apartments,  especially,  the  por- 
traits of  the  R oi  Soleil  are  very  numerous.  He  is 
represented  in  statue,  bust,  or  bas-relief,  by  Warin, 
Bernini,  and  Coyzevox;  and  on  canvas  by  Le  Brun, 
Mignard,  Rigaud,  and  secondary  painters.  The 
Grand  Roi,  as  was  only  right,  filled  the  great  rooms 
that  were  the  products  of  his  magnificence  with 
presentments  of  himself. 

In  Madame  de  Maintenon's  rooms,  where  the  col- 
lection of  pictures  has  recently  been  arranged,  the 
most  interesting  portraits  of  the  grand  siecle  are  to 
be  found.  These  rooms  are  facing  the  entrance  to 
the  Hall  of  the  King's  Guards,  on  the  landing  of  the 
Marble  Staircase,  a  situation  of  such  honour  that  it 
shows,  more  than  anything  else,  the  exceptional  place 
held  at  the  Court  by  the  Marquise  de  Maintenon, 
after  the  King  had  wedded  her  morganatically,  the 
marriage  being  celebrated  secretly  in  the  private 
chapel  of  Versailles. 

The  portraits  of  grandes  dames  which  have  been 
brought  together  here  are  those  of  Madame  la  Mar- 
quise de  Sevigne,  who  so  well  described  the  Court 
of  Louis  XIV.;  of  Louise  de  la  Valliere  and  Ma- 
dame de  Montespan,  who  governed  it;  of  Madame 
de  Maintenon  herself,  by  Mignard  and  by  Ferdi- 
nand Elle,  who  has  represented  her  full-length, 
seated  in  an  arm-chair,  with  her  niece  Mademoiselle 


VERSAILLES 

d'Aubigne  kneeling  before  her;  of  the  Duchesse 
d'Orleans,  Princess  Palatine  of  Bavaria,  who  spoke 
so  cruelly  of  Madame  de  Maintenon  and  of  so 
many  other  people  of  the  Court  in  her  well-known 
letters;  of  Louis  XIV.'s  natural  daughters'  Madem- 
oiselle de  Blois,  afterwards  the  wife  of  the  Regent, 
and  Mademoiselle  de  Nantes,  afterwards  Princesse 
de  Conde. 

We  see  here  two  delightful  portraits  of  children 
by  Mignard;  the  Comte  de  Toulouse  represented  as 
a  pretty  naked  cupid,  asleep  upon  a  bed  of  blue  silk 
with  a  red  pillow;  and  the  future  Duchesse  du 
Maine,  Anne-Louise  Benedicte  de  Bourbon,  sitting 
in  a  park  blowing  soap-bubbles.  By  Le  Brun  we 
have  here  a  powerful  study  of  the  head  of  the  Mar- 
shal de  Turenne,  and  by  Sebastien  Bourdon  a  strik- 
ing portrait  of  the  superintendent  Fouquet,  as  well 
known  for  his  dissipation  of  the  royal  treasure  as  for 
his  generous  protection  of  artists.  An  excellent  por- 
trait-painter, Claude  Lefebvre,  has  given  us  Col- 
bert, the  great  Minister,  and  De  Troy  has  painted 
the  great  architect  Mansart.  We  must  also  notice 
the  portrait  of  the  sculptor  Coyzevox  by  Allou,  that 
of  the  painter  Rigaud  by  Lebouteux,  and  that  of  Le 
Notre,  the  celebrated  architect,  and  gardener,  by 
Maratta.  All  these  countenances  are  very  charac- 
teristic of  their  century.  But  the  most  interesting 
[118] 


THE  KING'S  GARDEN 


MUSEUM   OF   FRENCH    HISTORY 

pictures  in  the  series  of  portraits  are  those  we  owe 
to  the  brush  of  Rigaud. 

Hyacinthe  Rigaud  here  shows  himself  a  master 
in  the  majestic  and  decorative  figures  by  which  he 
so  well  interprets  the  spirit  of  his  day.  In  1702  he 
painted  the  great  portrait  of  the  Marquis  de  Dan- 
geau,  Louis  XIV.'s  historiographer,  in  the  sumptu- 
ous costume  of  Grand  Master  of  the  Order  of  Saint 
Lazare.  This  is  a  velvet  mantle  of  a  reddish  purple 
colour,  sprinkled  with  fleurs-de-lys,  and  lined  with 
green  satin,  beneath  which  appears  the  blue  ribbon 
of  the  royal  Order  of  the  Holy  Ghost  Swelling 
with  pride  under  his  immense  black  peruke  this 
grand  seigneur  faithfully  represents  the  pretensions 
of  his  class.  Contrasted  with  this  are  the  portraits 
of  artists,  in  which  Rigaud  has  represented  the  sculp- 
tor Desjardins,  the  two  brothers  Keller — the  skilful 
founders  of  the  King's  cannon  and  of  the  statues  of 
Versailles — and  finally  His  Majesty's  chief  painter, 
Mignard,  seated  in  an  arm-chair  with  a  cartoon  upon 
his  knees.  The  countenance  of  this  old  man,  which 
was  profoundly  studied  by  the  master,  is  unequalled 
in  its  penetration  and  intellectuality. 

There  are  valuable  illustrations  here,  in  several 
contemporary  pictures,  of  the  anecdotal  history  of 
Louis  XIV.'s  Court.  Van  der  Meulen  has  depicted 
the  young  King  on  horseback  with  the  Queen  near 

[121] 


VERSAILLES 

the  Chateau  de  Vincennes,  and  again  near  that  of 
Fontainebleau.  An  anonymous  picture  represents 
him  at  the  same  period  presiding  over  the  assembly 
of  jurists,  who  are  drawing  up,  under  his  eyes,  the 
regulations  for  the  reform  of  the  administration  of 
justice.  A  view  of  the  old  Chapel  of  Versailles 
shows  him  receiving  the  oath  of  Dangeau,  who  is 
kneeling  before  him,  as  Grand  Master  of  the  Order 
of  Saint  Lazare.  And  a  fine  sketch  by  Coypel  de- 
picts Louis  XIV.  as  an  old  man,  giving  audience  to 
the  Persian  envoys,  whom  he  received  in  the  Galerie 
des  Glaces :  this  was  his  last  public  audience,  a  few 
months  before  his  death. 

This  series  of  historical  and  anecdotal  scenes 
should  be  completed  by  the  study  of  the  cartoons 
of  the  Gobelin  tapestries,  and  of  the  tapestries  them- 
selves, which  have  been  distributed  among  the  rooms, 
and  are  full  of  historical  portraits  and  of  costumes 
in  the  fashions  of  the  day. 

There  is  yet  another  series  of  paintings  deserving 
special  notice;  namely,  the  collection  of  pictures  by 
Cotelle,  Pierre-Denis  Martin  and  Jean-Baptiste 
Martin,  fitienne  and  Gabriel  Allegrain,  and  Van 
der  Meulen,  giving  views  of  the  chateau  and  groves 
of  Versailles,  Marly,  Trianon,  Clagny,  Meudon, 
Saint-Cloud,  Madrid,  Fontainebleau,  Chambord, 
Saint-Germain,  and  Vincennes.  Several  of  the 

[122] 


MUSEUM   OF   FRENCH    HISTORY 

royal  chateaux  are  destroyed  or  altered.  These  old 
views  of  the  groves  of  Versailles,  with  the  fountains 
in  their  complete  state,  as  seen  by  Louis  XIV.'s  con- 
temporaries, form  an  interesting  study  for  the  visitor 
who  is  spending  several  days  in  the  town  and  can 
compare  them  with  the  present  condition  of  the  same 
places. 

The  eighteenth-century  paintings  have  been  quite 
recently  placed  in  the  rooms  of  the  ground-floor, 
formerly  occupied  by  the  Dauphine  and  Dauphin. 
They  are  entered  at  the  foot  of  the  Marble  Staircase, 
and  no  sooner  does  one  pass  the  threshold  than  one 
is  conscious  that  this  is  the  most  attractive  part  of 
the  collection.  For  it  was  during  this  period  that 
the  French  genius  showed  the  greatest  amount  of 
charm  and  developed  all  its  special  qualities,  and 
that  the  faces  represented  were  most  characteristic 
of  the  national  spirit.  The  whole  society  of  the 
century  is  brought  together  in  these  pretty  salons. 

It  is  again  the  great  portrait-painter  Rigaud  who 
greets  us  in  the  Hall  of  the  Regency  with  a  superb 
portrait  of  the  young  King  Louis  XV.  in  1715,  which 
faces  Philippe  d'Orleans,  Regent  of  France,  by 
Santerre,  surrounded  by  the  portraits  of  the  prin- 
cesses his  daughters.  It  was  the  artist  Belle  who 
painted  the  little  Infanta  of  Spain  whom  Louis  XV. 
had  had  brought  to  Paris  when  quite  a  child,  only 


VERSAILLES 

to  be  sent  back  later  on  to  the  King  her  father,  as 
being  too  young  to  be  married ;  and  it  was  Belle,  too, 
who  painted  Queen  Marie  Leczinska,  the  daughter 
of  the  ex-King  of  Poland.  Largilliere's  portraits 
are  also  very  remarkable,  particularly  those  of  the 
magistrates  and  of  himself.  The  works  of  Louis 
Tocque  should  be  noted,  especially  the  portrait  of  the 
poet  Cresset  and  that  of  M.  de  Marigny,  Director  of 
Buildings  to  the  King  and  brother  of  Madame  de 
Pompadour. 

In  a  fine  salon  we  find,  harmoniously  and  deco- 
ratively  grouped  together,  the  portraits  of  Louis 
XV.'s  daughters,  Mesdames  de  France,  by  Nattier. 
This  painter,  who  has  become  the  fashion,  as  he  was 
in  his  own  day,  and  who  is  so  much  sought  after  by 
amateurs  at  the  present  time,  here  exhibits  a  collec- 
tion of  unique  works.  All  the  conventional  grace 
of  the  women  of  his  day  is  made  to  live  once  more  in 
the  likenesses  he  has  given  us  of  the  princesses  whose 
specially  appointed  painter  he  was,  the  most  ex- 
quisite being  the  portraits  of  Mesdames  Victoire, 
Sophie,  and  Louise,  painted  in  1748,  when  they  were 
being  educated  at  the  Abbey  of  Fontevrault  in 
Anjou.  Madame  Louise,  whom  he  has  represented 
holding  some  flowers,  in  a  most  charming  picture, 
was  afterwards  to  enter  the  Carmelite  Convent,  leav- 
ing the  pleasures  of  Versailles  to  submit  herself  to 


CHURCH   OF  NOTRE  DAME  AT  VERSAILLES 


MUSEUM   OF  FRENCH   HISTORY 

the  most  severe  rule  of  the  most  austere  monastic 
order  existing  in  France. 

Further  on  we  see  Madame  Adelaide  and  Ma- 
dame Henriette  as  mythological  goddesses,  one  as 
Diana,  the  other  as  Flora;  and  they  are  also  depicted 
when  older,  in  full  Court  dress,  one  singing  and  the 
other  playing  the  bass-viol,  for  the  favourite  recrea- 
tion of  these  princesses  was  music,  their  singing- 
master  being  Beaumarchais,  author  of  the  Manage 
de  Figaro. 

We  must  not  allow  the  charm  of  Nattier's  pic- 
tures to  make  us  indifferent  to  the  merits  of  the  other 
masters,  such  as  Carle  Van  Loo,  Louis-Michel  Van 
Loo,  Roslin  the  Swede,  Louis  Tocque,  and  Fran- 
gois  Drouais,  by  whom  there  are  here  some  interest- 
ing canvases  and  some  portraits  of  famous  men  and 
women. 

On  the  chimney-piece  of  the  Dauphin's  bedroom, 
which  is  ornamented  with  bronzes  chased  by  Caf- 
fieri,  there  is  a  curious  piece  of  tapestry  from  the 
Gobelins,  reproducing  the  official  portrait  of  Louis 
XV.  The  remains  of  decorations  which  are  to  be 
found  in  these  rooms,  having  survived  the  destruc- 
tive period  of  Louis  Philippe,  date  from  the  time 
of  the  Dauphin,  son  of  Louis  XV.  and  father  of 
Louis  XVI.  These  apartments  were  occupied  in  the 
seventeenth  century  by  the  Dauphin,  son  of  Louis 


.VERSAILLES 

XIV.,  who  is  known  in  history  by  the  name  of  the 
Grand  Dauphin,  to  distinguish  him  from  his  son,  the 
Due  de  Bourgogne,  who  was  living  at  the  Court  at 
the  same  time  as  himself.  Nothing  dating  from  the 
time  of  this  prince  is  left  in  these  rooms,  where  every- 
thing is  in  the  style  of  the  eighteenth  century. 

The  reign  of  Louis  XVI.  is  represented  further 
on  in  a  fresh  series  of  portraits,  among  which  are 
those  of  the  King  and  his  cousin  the  Due  d'Orleans, 
who  became  celebrated  during  the  Revolution  under 
the  name  of  Philippe  Egalite;  those  of  the  King's 
brothers,  the  Comte  de  Provence  (afterwards  Louis 
XVIII.) ,  and  the  Comte  d'Artois  (Charles  X.) ;  and 
finally,  those  of  Queen  Marie  Antoinette,  by  Ma- 
dame Vigee-Lebrun.  The  most  famous  of  these 
pictures  is  dated  1787,  and  represents  the  Queen 
surrounded  by  her  three  children;  the  little  girl  is 
Madame  Royale,  who  was  confined  in  the  Temple 
during  the  Revolution  and  afterwards  married  her 
cousin  the  Due  d'Angouleme.  The  little  boy  who 
is  standing  up  is  the  first  Dauphin,  who  was  born 
in  1781  and  died  in  1789:  the  child  on  Marie  An- 
toinette's knees  is  the  Due  de  Normandie,  who  was 
born  in  1785  and  died  in  the  Temple  prison,  under 
the  name  of  Louis  XVII.,  which  was  given  to  him 
by  the  royalists.  This  great  picture  has  a  touching 
effect  upon  us  owing  to  these  dramatic  memories. 


MUSEUM   OF   FRENCH    HISTORY 

The  sculptuary  here  is  remarkable,  and  more 
especially  the  busts  by  Houdon,  which  represent 
Diderot,  Voltaire,  and  Louis  XVI.  Some  import- 
ant pieces  of  furniture  have  also  been  placed  here, 
such  as  Louis  XVI. 's  bureau,  and  Marie  Antoinette's 
jewel-cupboard,  which  is  remarkable  for  the  beauty 
of  its  workmanship  and  for  the  variety  of  materials 
employed  in  its  adornment. 

No  country,  it  would  seem,  has  ever  devoted  so 
many  pictures  to  the  commemoration  of  the  events 
in  its  history  as  France,  since  the  time  of  the  Na- 
poleonic era.  A  large  proportion  of  the  canvases 
ordered  by  the  Emperor  to  recall  the  civil  and  mili- 
tary episodes  of  the  Consulate  and  the  Empire  have 
been  placed  in  the  Museum  of  Versailles.  They  are 
arranged  according  to  their  size,  and  form  three  dis- 
tinct series,  which  should  be  studied  together,  al- 
though they  are  distributed  in  three  different  parts 
of  the  Palace.  The  largest  pictures  are  on  the 
ground-floor  of  the  South  wing,  in  the  galleries 
known  as  those  of  the  Empire.  Especially  notice- 
able are  Thevenin's  picture  of  the  Grande  Armee 
dragging  its  cannon  through  the  snow  over  the  Great 
St.  Bernard  Pass,  and  Girodet's  painting  of  Na- 
poleon receiving  the  keys  of  the  town  of  Vienna. 

The  second  series  of  pictures  connected  with  Na- 
poleon is  on  the  first  floor  of  the  North  wing,  in  the 


VERSAILLES 

rooms  overlooking  the  park.  For  the  sake  of  brevity 
we  will  not  name  them  here,  but  will  call  especial 
attention  to  the  third  series,  the  most  interesting  of 
them  all,  which  has  lately  been  exposed  to  public 
view  on  the  second  floor  of  the  South  wing,  reached 
by  a  staircase  which  is  a  continuation  of  the  Grand 
Staircase  of  the  Queen.  Here  we  find  the  most 
interesting  descriptive  canvases  and  the  series  of 
historical  portraits. 

This  collection  opens  with  a  room  devoted  to  all 
the  records  of  the  French  Revolution  possessed  by  the 
Museum,  which  are  curious  enough.  We  see  here 
authentic  portraits  of  Mirabeau,  Lafayette,  Bailly, 
Condorcet,  Robespierre,  Madame  Roland,  and  Char- 
lotte Corday;  the  picture  by  David  of  the  assassina- 
tion of  Marat  in  his  bath,  etc.  The  best  picture, 
from  an  artistic  point  of  view,  is  the  Federation 
Fete,  which  is  perhaps  Hubert  Robert's  masterpiece. 
Here  also  is  a  bust  of  the  young  Louis  XVII.,  which 
was  in  the  Palace  of  the  Tuileries,  and  was  thrown 
out  of  the  window  when  the  mob  invaded  that  Pal- 
ace on  August  10.  This  charming  piece  of  sculp- 
ture was  found  by. chance  in  1816  in  the  possession  of 
a  shoemaker,  who  used  it,  it  is  said,  for  beating  his 
leather.  The  nose  having  been  broken,  the  head 
has  been  restored.  Beside  it  is  the  portrait  of  Marie 
Antoinette  in  widow's  dress,  painted  in  the  Temple 


LOUIS  XV. 'S  LIBRARY 


MUSEUM   OF   FRENCH    HISTORY 

prison,  which  contrasts  strikingly  with  the  brilliant 
portraits  of  the  same  Queen  to  be  seen  in  other  parts 
of  the  Chateau. 

After  these  dramatic  relics  we  see  French  society 
in  the  days  of  the  Consulate,  presided  over  by  some 
fine  pictures  of  the  First  Consul  by  Gros,  David, 
etc.  His  bust  by  Corbet  is  the  best  that  was  done 
during  his  life.  In  the  series  of  soldiers  we  must 
observe  some  very  interesting  drawings  representing 
thirty  generals  of  the  Army  of  Egypt,  drawn  in 
crayons  in  Egypt  itself  by  Dutertre.  Pretty  Ma- 
dame Recamier  seems  to  preside  over  the  society 
of  her  day,  represented  by  numerous  portraits  of 
writers,  men  of  science,  and  statesmen.  In  the  ad- 
joining rooms  are  kept  the  sketches  of  the  portraits 
executed  by  Baron  Gerard,  the  prolific  portrait 
painter,  in  which  we  are  enabled  to  review,  in  the 
costumes  of  the  day,  the  whole  of  the  princely  and 
diplomatic  society  of  the  first  years  of  the  nineteenth 
century.  Many  of  these  charming  pictures  are  con- 
nected with  the  art  of  portraiture  in  England. 

The  whole  of  a  large  room  and  several  small  ones 
are  reserved  for  the  portraits,  in  painting  and  sculp- 
ture, of  the  family  of  Napoleon.  The  kings  and 
princes,  his  brothers,  and  their  wives  and  children, 
are  grouped  round  the  Emperor  and  his  two  wives, 
the  Empress  Josephine  and  the  Empress  Marie- 


VERSAILLES 

Louise,  whom  Gerard  has  depicted  holding  the  little 
King  of  Rome.  Further  on  there  are  pictures  repre- 
senting Napoleon  distributing  decorations  to  the 
artists ;  the  entry  of  Napoleon  and  Marie-Louise  into 
the  Tuileries  on  the  day  of  their  marriage;  and  the 
whole  series  of  marshals  and  great  dignitaries  of 
the  Crown  in  their  sumptuous  costumes. 

In  this  series  of  the  second  floor  the  military  his- 
tory of  the  Empire  is  only  represented  by  the  pictures 
of  General  Lejeune,  who  was  Marshal  Berthier's 
aide-de-camp,  and  took  part  in  the  principal  cam- 
paigns. This  officer,  who  was  gifted  with  a  very 
interesting  sense  of  the  picturesque,  and  made 
sketches  every  day  in  camp  or  on  the  field  of  battle, 
has  contributed  from  his  portfolios  some  paintings 
full  of  movement  and  life.  Especially  noticeable 
are  the  canvases  representing  the  Battle  of  Marengo; 
the  bivouac  of  Napoleon  on  the  eve  of  the  Battle 
of  Austerlitz;  the  famous  cavalry  charge  of  the 
Polish  lancers  at  Somo  Sierra  in  Spain,  etc. — scenes 
observed  and  experienced  in  such  an  intelligent  way 
that  they  alone  would  suffice  to  give  an  idea  of  the 
mental  processes  of  the  Grande  Armee  and  of  the 
sentiments  that  animated  it,  as  well  as  of  the  life  it 
led  when  crossing  Europe. 

To  this  period,  of  which  the  French  are  justly 
proud,  succeeds  the  pacific  era  of  the  Restoration: 

[134] 


MUSEUM    OF   FRENCH    HISTORY 

round  the  peaceful  effigies  of  Louis  XVIII.  and 
Charles  X.,  and  of  the  Due  and  Duchesse  de  Berry, 
are  grouped  the  other  portraits  of  that  date:  a  new 
series  of  little  sketches  by  Gerard  is  close  to  the 
original  pictures  of  the  same  master,  and  prompts 
us  to  draw  instructive  comparisons.  There  is  a  por- 
trait of  Gerard  himself  by  Thomas  Lawrence,  of 
which  the  head  only  is  finished. 

The  episodes  of  the  civil  war  during  the  three 
days  of  July,  1830,  represented  here  by  several 
painters  and  notably  by  Horace  Vernet,  lead  us  to 
the  history  of  the  monarchy  of  the  younger  branch. 
Here  we  see,  among  the  pictures  of  this  period,  many 
of  which  are  concerned  with  the  agreeable  relations 
of  France  with  England,  a  collection  of  all  the  por- 
traits of  Louis  Philippe's  family,  by  Winterhalter. 
The  Due  d'Orleans,  the  King's  eldest  son,  is  painted 
by  Ingres.  Among  Gerard's  last  pictures  the  por- 
trait of  Lamartine  is  noticeable.  All  the  Parisian 
men  of  letters  of  the  time,  including  Chateaubriand, 
Victor  Hugo,  Alexandre  Dumas,  etc.,  are  depicted 
together  on  a  canvas  by  Heim,  representing  a  lec- 
ture in  the  foyer  of  the  Co  me  die  Frangaise.  The 
same  artist  (Heim)  painted  the  Chamber  of  Depu- 
ties presenting  the  Due  d'Orleans  (Louis  Philippe) 
with  the  Act  that  called  him  to  the  throne  in  1830; 
and  the  Declaration  presented  to  the  Due  d'Orleans 


VERSAILLES 

by  the  Chamber  of  Peers.  The  artist  has  filled  his 
canvas  with  a  large  number  of  minutely  observed 
portraits.  Eugene  Lami  painted  one  of  the  most 
interesting  pictures  of  the  period,  representing  the 
boulevards  of  Paris  as  they  appeared  on  the  day  of 
Fieschi's  attempt  on  Louis  Philippe's  life,  by  means 
of  an  "  infernal  machine,"  to  which  many  persons 
round  the  King  fell  victims.  It  is  impossible  to 
mention  here  all  the  interesting  things  there  are  to 
be  seen  on  the  spot. 

The  conquest  of  Algeria  inspired  a  famous  artist, 
Horace  Vernet,  with  a  series  of  popular  pictures, 
which  must  be  sought  on  the  first  floor  of  the  North 
wing,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Chapel.  These 
"  African  rooms "  are  well  known  to  the  people, 
but  they  are,  nevertheless,  not  unworthy  of  the  at- 
tention of  lovers  of  painting,  for  they  vigorously  and 
faithfully  reproduce  scenes  studied  on  the  spot. 
Well  known  above  all  are  the  three  pictures  dealing 
with  the  siege  and  assault  of  Constantine,  and  the 
immense  canvas  representing  the  taking  of  Smala 
or  the  camp  of  Abdel-Kader.  The  event  took  place 
on  May  16,  1843,  and  the  painting  that  represents 
it  is  one  of  the  largest  existing,  for  it  measures  more 
than  twenty-one  metres  in  width  by  a  little  less 
than  five  metres  in  height.  In  the  centre  the  Due 
d'Aumale,  mounted  on  a  white  horse,  is  answer- 


ARCHWAY  IN  THE  GALERIE  DES  GLACES 


MUSEUM   OF   FRENCH    HISTORY 

ing  the  imploring  Arabs  with  a  reassuring  gesture, 
while  the  African  chasseurs  whom  he  commands  are 
galloping  towards  the  enemy's  tents,  and  reducing 
them  to  a  state  of  disorder  and  dismay.  The  mul- 
tiplicity of  suggestive  episodes  and  realistic  details 
does  not  at  all  detract  from  the  unity  of  this  mar- 
vellously clever  composition. 

The  second  Empire,  in  its  turn,  ordered  several 
official  canvases  to  be  painted  in  honour  of  its  mili- 
tary successes.  The  Crimean  expedition  and  the 
Italian  campaign  occupy  a  large  room  near  the 
rooms  of  Horace  Vernet.  The  crossing  of  the  Alma 
by  Pils,  painted  in  full  sunlight,  is  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  of  modern  military  pictures;  while  Gus- 
tave  Dore  has  represented  the  hand-to-hand  conflict 
between  the  English  and  Russian  regiments  in  the 
battle  of  Inkermann  with  real  power.  Yvon  has 
painted  three  distinct  pictures  of  the  capture  of  the 
redoubt  of  Malakoff,  an  important  episode  in  the 
siege  of  Sebastopol.  Twenty-one  topographical  pic- 
tures show  forth  the  complete  history  of  that  mem- 
orable siege,  in  which  the  troops  of  England  and 
France  were  united. 

The  Italian  campaign  is  less  happily  treated  in 
the  pictures  representing  Solferino  and  Magenta. 
The  activity  of  France  abroad  is  celebrated  in  a 
picture  by  Riou  representing  the  fetes  in  connec- 


VERSAILLES 

tion  with  the  inauguration  of  the  Suez  Canal  at 
Ismailia. 

The  elegance  of  Napoleon  III.'s  brilliant  Court 
has  never  been  better  shown  than  in  Gerome's  clever 
picture  depicting  the  reception  of  the  Siamese  am- 
bassadors by  Napoleon  III.  at  the  Palace  of  Fon- 
tainebleau.  The  Emperor  and  the  Empress  Eu- 
genie, surrounded  by  officers  of  the  Court  and  ladies 
of  the  Palace,  and  with  the  Prince  Imperial  beside 
them,  are  receiving  the  homage  of  the  Siamese,  who 
are  on  their  knees  in  their  handsome  yellow  robes. 
Every  individual,  including  the  painter  himself,  is 
recognisable. 

Hippolyte  Flandrin's  portrait  of  Napoleon  III. 
is  a  masterpiece,  and  reproduces  his  troubled  and 
thoughtful  expression  in  a  marvellous  way.  The 
portrait  of  the  Empress  Eugenie  is  only  a  copy  of 
Winterhalter's  picture,  while  the  sumptuous  one  of 
the  Princess  Mathilde  is  an  original  work  by  Du- 
bufe.  Hebert  and  Flandrin  painted  the  energetic 
figure  of  Prince  Napoleon,  whose  wife,  the  Princess 
Clotilde,  is  represented  by  Hebert  in  a  touching 
picture  full  of  mystery. 

Horace  Vernet  painted  the  portraits  of  Marshals 
Bosquet,  MacMahon,  and  Canrobert,  which  are  the 
best  of  the  military  series;  while  among  the  civilians 
the  portraits  of  Emile  Augier  by  Dubufe,  and  of 


MUSEUM    OF   FRENCH    HISTORY 

Victor  Hugo  and  Thiers  by  Bonnat,  are  equally 
worthy  of  mention.  The  two  last  date  from  the 
first  years  of  the  Republic,  as  do  also  the  por- 
traits of  General  D'Aurelles  de  Paladine  by  Nelie 
Jacquemart  (Madame  Ed.  Andre),  of  the  dramatist 
Edouard  Pailleron  by  Sargent,  etc. 

Let  us  glance  rapidly  at  the  most  modern  sub- 
jects of  all,  whose  representations  are  still  distributed 
provisionally  in  various  parts  of  the  great  Museum. 
The  Battle  of  ReichshofTen,  by  Aime  Morot,  depicts 
for  us  very  poignantly  the  heroic  and  murderous 
charge  of  the  French  cuirassiers  at  Morsbronn, 
which  wrung  from  the  King  of  Prussia,  as  he  looked 
on  at  the  sacrifice  of  so  many  regiments,  the  famous 
exclamation :  "Ah!  les  braves  gens!  " 

The  siege  of  Paris  is  recalled  in  an  episode  of 
the  Battle  of  Champigny  painted  by  Alphonse  de 
Neuville ;  and  the  melancholy  symbol  of  the  Franco- 
German  War,  remembered  by  the  French  nation  as 
the  terrible  year,  is  furnished  by  Georges  Bertrand's 
canvas,  Patrie.  Here  we  see  a  troop  of  cuirassiers 
in  the  twilight  descending  a  muddy  hill,  and  sup- 
porting in  his  saddle  a  dead  officer,  whose  distorted 
fingers  are  clutching  the  flag  upon  his  breast. 

More  recent  events  than  these — represented  as  a 
rule  on  over-large  canvases — are:  The  Celebration 
of  the  Centenary  of  the  iLtats-genereaux  of  1789  at 


VERSAILLES 

Versailles,  by  Roll;  the  Distribution  of  Rewards  at 
the  Universal  Exhibition  of  1889,  by  Gervex;  the 
same  scene  at  the  Exhibition  of  1900,  by  Tattegrain; 
the  Funeral  of  President  Carnot  at  the  Pantheon  in 
Paris,  by  Georges  Bertrand;  two  masterpieces  by 
Edouard  Detaille — the  Funeral  of  Pasteur,  and  the 
Review  at  Chalons  in  honour  of  the  Czar  Nicolas 
II.;  the  reception  of  the  girls  of  Paris  by  the  Czar 
and  Czarina  at  the  inauguration  of  the  Pont  Alex- 
andre,  by  Roll;  the  Centenary  of  Victor  Hugo,  in 
the  Pantheon,  by  Chartran,  etc. 

The  State,  by  ordering  these  pictures,  has  shown 
its  intention  of  continuing  to  supply  the  Museum, 
without  any  break,  with  a  graphic  commentary  on 
contemporary  history.  Later  on  these  works  will 
have  a  documentary  value;  but  a  large  proportion 
of  the  public  will  continue  to  visit  a  section  of  the 
Museum  to  which  we  have  not  yet  referred,  although 
it  contains  the  most  popular  pictures:  those  com- 
memorating the  History  of  France,  painted  for  the 
most  part  by  order  of  Louis  Phillippe,  in  accordance 
with  the  didactic  conception  of  his  Museum.  The 
public  will  always  be  interested  in  seeing  the  Charle- 
magne Crossing  the  Alps  of  Delaroche,  the  Saint 
Louis  of  Cabanel,  and  the  pictures  in  the  romantic 
style  collected  in  the  rooms  known  as  the  "  rooms  of 
the  Crusades,"  which  contain  the  shields  of  those  old 


THE  MARBLE  STAIRCASE 


MUSEUM   OF  FRENCH    HISTORY 

French  families  of  which  a  member  figured  in  the 
expeditions  of  the  Christians  to  the  East. 

The  most  famous  pictures  of  this  nature  are  col- 
lected within  the  vast  walls  of  the  Gallery  of  Battles, 
which  was  constructed  in  the  place  of  three  storeys 
of  rooms,  and  occupies  the  whole  length  of  the  South 
wing.  The  Gallery  of  Battles  forms  an  epitome — 
a  little  artificial,  perhaps,  but  not  without  a  grandeur 
of  its  own — of  the  military  glory  of  the  nation;  it 
is  a  kind  of  pantheon,  with  its  busts  and  inscriptions 
in  honour  of  the  leaders  of  armies  and  generals  who 
have  lost  their  lives  in  fighting  for  France;  and  at 
the  same  time  its  great  canvases  form  a  military 
panorama,  whose  subjects  extend  from  Tolbiac  to 
Wagram,  and  show  us  Napoleon's  soldiers  as  the 
direct  descendants  of  those  of  Clovis. 

The  subjects  taken  from  the  Middle  Ages,  which 
are  here  treated  in  the  romantic  style  of  painting, 
serve  only  to  increase  our  appreciation  of  the  "  Battle 
of  Taillebourg,"  by  Eugene  Delocroix,  the  central 
point  of  the  Gallery  for  lovers  of  art.  The  modern 
section,  on  the  contrary,  includes  several  interesting 
or  famous  works  by  Alaux,  Deveria,  Franque,  etc.; 
two  huge  vGerards,  "  Henry  IV.'s  Entry  into  Paris," 
and  the  "Battle  of  Austerlitz";  two  fine  Couders, 
"Lawfeld"  and  "Yorktown";  Bouchot's  "Zu- 
rich"; Philippoteaux's  "Rivoli";  and  finally,  to 


VERSAILLES 

bring  the  glorious  series  to  an  end,  Horace  Ver- 
net's  three  popular  pictures  of  Napoleon,  "  Jena," 
"  Friedland,"  and  "  Wagram." 

This  part  of  the  Museum  and  those  which,  like 
it,  are  devoted  to  the  popular  instruction  of  the 
French  nation,  should  not  be  visited  during  the 
course  of  the  considerable  alterations  which  are  at 
this  moment  being  carried  out  in  the  Historical 
Museum  of  Versailles.  That  Museum  will  soon 
have  received  its  final  form.  It  should  be  borne  in 
mind  that  this  is  the  largest  collection  of  works  of 
art  that  a  nation  has  ever  consecrated  to  memorials 
of  its  history. 


THE  GARDEN   OF  VERSAILLES 


grand  architectural  lines  of  the  Palace 
of  Versailles  are  continued  in  its  gardens. 
It  was  the  same  mind  that  planned  their  ar- 
rangement, and  one  can  detect  in  them  the 
same  thoughts  and  similar  artistic  feelings.  Their 
air  of  grandeur  and  dignity  corresponds  closely  with 
the  magnificence  of  the  Palace;  their  decoration  is 
similar,  and  their  history  is  identical. 

It  was  the  condensed  genius  of  a  whole  race  that 
created  this  formal  and  orderly  miracle  of  flower- 
beds, sparkling  water  and  marble;  this  harmonious 
geometrical  figure,  to  which  the  sunlight  has  lent  its 
own  dazzling  magic.  This  plan,  so  admirably  con- 
ceived by  Le  Notre  and  so  splendidly  coloured  by 
Nature,  was  the  slow  and  careful  work  of  several 
generations:  it  is  of  value  for  its  own  sake,  as  well 
as  for  that  of  the  history  of  three  reigns  passed  under 
the  shade  of  its  venerable  trees,  when  its  fetes  turned 
it  into  fairyland  beside  its  fountains,  and  lovers 


VERSAILLES 

walked  among  its  perfumed  groves,  and  ladies  in 
wide  hoops  trod  in  long  procession  on  the  turf  of 
its  paths,  beside  the  pretty  little  carriages  in  which 
servants  wheeled  the  King  and  the  princesses.  In 
these  gardens — the  most  famous  in  the  world — one 
may  evoke  endless  memories  of  radiant  days,  and 
also  of  sad  hours,  as  when  in  1789,  below  the  bal- 
conies of  Marie  Antoinette,  the  populace  cried: 
"  Death  to  the  Austrian!  " 

To  secure  a  really  good  idea  of  the  splendid 
spectacle  that  is  displayed  in  shady  walks  that  lead 
to  grassy  glades,  in  luxuriant  groves  where  fountains 
play,  in  distant  views  where  the  eye  loses  itself  in 
wooded  heights,  one  should  stand  quietly  for  a  few 
moments,  on  a  day  of  autumn  or  spring,  on  one  of 
the  balconies  of  the  Galerie  des  Glaces,  and  look 
steadily  at  the  vision  that  is  spread  before  one's 
eyes. 

Far  away  the  mirror  of  the  Grand  Canal  lies  in 
the  sunshine,  which  plays  upon  the  metal  of  Apollo's 
Car,  the  shadows  of  the  trees  tremble  on  the  un- 
dulating turf,  the  pale  statues  bend  over  the  white 
paths,  the  bronzes  supply  a  touch  of  gold,  and  the 
water  quivers  in  the  fountains;  the  whole  landscape 
is  wrapped  in  profound  silence,  a  splendid  and  im- 
posing mourning  for  the  dead  Monarchy. 

Nowhere  can  one  see  Nature  tamed  more  abso- 


THE   GARDEN 

lutely  than  here.  When  Louis  XIII.  built  this  little 
chateau  he  laid  out  a  hunting-park;  the  ground  was 
marshy,  and  formed  a  circle  bounded  to  right  and 
left  by  rounded  hills.  Louis  XIV.  transformed  the 
wild  and  deserted  spot  into  this  region  of  life  and 
beauty,  but  we  shall  never  know  how  much  was  spent 
in  the  way  of  will-power,  labour,  and  money  in 
raising  all  these  terraces,  the  earth  for  which  had 
all  to  be  brought  from  elsewhere,  and  in  strengthen- 
ing the  foundations  and  approaches  of  the  great  Pal- 
ace. It  stands  up  superbly,  in  all  its  whiteness 
and  wealth  of  decoration,  spreading  out  before  the 
gardens  the  broken  but  symmetrical  lines  of  its  fa- 
cade, which  can  be  seen  from  afar.  To  right  and 
left,  as  one  faces  the  Palace,  the  Southern  Parterre 
and  the  Northern  Parterre  are  laid  out.  Between 
them,  in  front  of  the  Galerie  des  Glaces,  two  wide 
and  deep  basins  with  marble  kerbs  inclose  the  mo- 
tionless sheets  of  water  known  as  the  Parterre  d'Eau. 
These  great  mirrors,  in  which  are  tremblingly  re- 
flected the  lines  of  the  building,  were  originally 
designed  by  Le  Notre  to  be  formed  of  currents  of 
water,  tracing  out  a  pattern  of  flower-beds,  squares, 
and  various  rectangular  figures,  surrounded  by  box- 
shrubs  and  turf;  but  Louis  XIV.  devised  this  im- 
provement upon  the  idea,  and  two  limpid  lakes  were 
formed.  Soon  there  rose  above  the  waters  long 

[149] 


VERSAILLES 

recumbent  statues  in  bronze,  which  were  purposely 
made  too  large  in  proportion,  in  order  that  Louis 
XIV.  might  see  their  lines  clearly  from  the  windows 
of  his  salons.  They  form  the  most  important  series 
of  bronzes  in  Europe,  and  each  one  of  them  is  a  work 
of  grace  and  dignity. 

To  each  basin  there  are  four  recumbent  statues, 
representing  the  rivers  and  streams  of  France,  four 
nymphs  lying  in  unstudied  attitudes  upon  the  marble, 
and  four  groups  of  children  at  the  corners.  Each 
subject,  with  the  exception  of  the  group  of  children, 
is  signed  by  the  artist  who  modelled  it,  and  also  bears 
the  name  of  the  brothers  Keller,  founders  at  the 
Arsenal  of  Paris.  Charles  Le  Brun,  the  King's 
chief  painter,  made  a  rough  sketch  for  each  artist, 
in  order  to  preserve  the  unity  of  the  whole.  The 
drawings  were  submitted  to  Louis  XIV.,  who  ac- 
cepted them  or  modified  them;  and  then,  acting  on 
these  preliminary  suggestions,  the  sculptor  set  to 
work. 

It  might  seem  as  if  the  artists,  after  so  much 
prompting,  could  only  have  produced  an  imper- 
sonal kind  of  work,  without  force  or  originality; 
but  this  is  far  from  being  the  case.  The  power  of 
Coyzevox  is  easily  distinguishable  from  the  flexi- 
bility of  Tubi;  the  gracefulness  of  Magnier  cannot 
be  mistaken  for  the  vivacity  of  Legros;  and  in  the 
[ISO] 


•i 


FLIGHT  OF  STEPS,  NORTHERN  PARTERRE 


THE  GARDEN 

second  rank  one  may  recognise  Le  Hongre,  Raon, 
and  Regnaudin. 

These  masters  of  French  sculpture  in  the  seven- 
teenth century  have  made  the  gardens  of  Versailles 
into  a  veritable  museum  of  art.  Even  before  we 
leave  the  terrace  just  below  the  Palace  we  see  Olym- 
pus invading  the  park;  at  the  foot  of  the  steps  rise  two 
great  marble  vases,  the  one  representing  Peace  being 
by  Tubi,  and  that  representing  War  by  Coyzevox. 
But  the  bronze  figures  on  marble  tablets  which  sur- 
round the  Parterre  d'Eau  are  here  visible  in  all 
their  magnificence,  though  time  has  been  at  work 
upon  their  wonderful  material.  At  the  foot  of  the 
Vase  of  Peace  we  see  the  two  figures  of  the  Loire 
and  the  Loiret  by  Regnaudin,  powerful  and  austere 
figures,  with  their  attendant  genii,  and  scattered 
round  them  on  the  ground  the  fine  fruits  produced 
by  the  countries  they  water.  Behind  the  large  fig- 
ures are  three  babies  in  a  cluster  together,  playing 
with  flowers,  shells,  and  looking-glasses.  These 
cupids,  laughing  and  round  and  chubby  though  they 
be,  have  a  little  of  the  solemnity  of  the  grand  slecle; 
their  brothers  of  the  eighteenth  century  are  much 
more  graceful  and  voluptuous. 

This  group  is  matched,  on  the  other  side  of  the 
same  basin,  by  the  recumbent  statues  of  the  Rhone 
and  the  Saone  by  Tubi,  the  artist  who,  though  born 


VERSAILLES 

in  Rome,  imbibed  so  much  of  the  spirit  of  France 
and  of  her  graceful  and  reticent  art.  The  Rhone  is 
represented  as  a  majestic  and  stern  old  man,  crowned 
with  leaves;  he  is  leaning  on  a  rock,  whence  the 
bubbling  stream  flows,  and  in  one  hand  he  holds  an 
oar,  which  a  little  Triton  is  trying  to  lift.  The 
warm  colouring  of  the  bronze,  with  its  tints  of  green, 
is  admirable  in  the  sunlight.  The  goddess  of  the 
Saone  is  lying  on  vine-leaves  and  clusters  of  ripe 
grapes,  and  her  generous  lines  have  all  the  supple- 
ness that  Tubi  knows  so  well  how  to  give.  The 
cupid  by  whom  she  is  attended  is  pressing  grapes 
between  his  chubby  little  hands;  it  is  a  vivid  memory 
of  Burgundy  and  its  golden  grape  harvest.  These 
two  beautiful  figures  are  also  accompanied  by  two 
groups  of  children.  We  will  pass  over  the  four 
lovely  nymphs  who  bend  over  the  margin  of  the 
basin  on  both  sides,  and  we  will  approach  the  north- 
ern basin,  which  is  opposite  to  the  Vase  of  War. 

Here  the  Marne  in  her  grave  beauty,  supporting 
a  horn  of  plenty,  does  honour  by  her  gracefulness 
to  her  sculptor,  fitienne  Le  Hongre.  The  Seine, 
by  the  same  master,  serves  as  a  fellow  to  its  tribu- 
tary. One  would  have  wished  this  charming  river 
to  be  represented  by  some  gracious  and  serene  nymph, 
crowned  with  ears  of  corn ;  but  the  sculptor  has  given 
us  a  stern  old  man  who  does  not  remind  us  in  any 


THE  GARDEN 

respect  of  the  Seine,  with  her  slow-flowing  waters 
and  her  flowery  curves. 

But  Coyzevox,  with  his  freedom  and  originality, 
has  justly  interpreted  the  Garonne  and  the  Dor- 
dogne,  the  two  benefactors  of  rich  and  sunny  Gas- 
cony.  The  Garonne  appears  as  a  river  god,  with  a 
face  full  of  energy  and  a  spirituel  smile.  A  winged 
cupid  is  scattering  flowers  and  fruit.  It  is  a  very 
happy  performance,  very  French  in  its  grace  and 
force. 

The  Dordogne  faces  it  in  the  form  of  a  power- 
ful woman,  recumbent  and  smiling.  Her  delicate 
features  are  surrounded  by  a  crown  of  flowers. 
Round  her  are  scattered  fruit,  corn  and  vine  branches, 
the  rich  harvest  of  the  south;  beneath  her  splendid 
arm  are  two  flowing  urns,  the  Dore  and  the  Dogne. 
And  these  two  figures  are  accompanied,  like  the 
others,  by  a  twining  group  of  little  children. 

At  the  margin  of  the  basin  are  four  nymphs  simi- 
lar to  those  beside  its  fellow.  Those  by  the  southern 
basin  were  modelled  by  Le  Hongre  and  Raon;  those 
beside  the  northern  one  by  Le  Gros  and  Magnier. 
They  are  all  equally  graceful  in  their  slender  supple- 
ness, but  there  is  a  special  character  in  the  expression 
and  pose  of  each.  These  gentle  feminine  figures, 
with  their  quiet  gestures,  lying  among  flowers  and 
shells,  are  the  most  perfect  personification  of  the 


VERSAILLES 

waters,  and  the  smiling  Loves  by  which  their  dreamy 
and  playful  charm  is  accompanied,  form  one  of  the 
most  seductive  subjects  in  the  park.  In  this  im- 
mense garden  there  is  "  childhood  everywhere,"  to 
quote  the  words  of  Louis  XIV.'s  own  command; 
and  here,  quite  close  to  us,  by  the  steps  that  lead 
down  to  the  Parterre  du  Midi,  two  little  bronze 
sprites  represent  it  delightfully.  They  are  riding 
two  marble  sphinxes.  These  are  the  "  children  on 
the  sphinxes "  so  popular  in  the  gardens,  and  were 
for  a  long  time  above  the  stairs  of  Latona,  in  the 
position  occupied  by  the  vases  decorated  with  suns. 
They  were  modelled  in  1660  by  the  earliest  sculptor 
of  Versailles,  the  master  Jacques  Sarrazin.  Just  at 
first  they  were  gilded,  but  the  gilding  was  afterwards 
removed  to  make  them  more  harmonious  with  the 
bronzes  of  the  Kellers.  For  it  was  only  gradually 
that  Versailles  assumed  its  final  splendour,  by  dint 
of  experiments,  and  groping  efforts,  and  labour  and 
time.  The  original  decoration  was  of  stone;  and  it 
was  so  when  Louis  XIV.,  as  quite  a  young  man,  gave 
to  the  two  Queens,  his  mother  and  his  wife,  the 
"  fetes  of  the  enchanted  isles."  As  a  matter  of  fact, 
the  heroine  of  the  occasion  was  the  gentle  La  Val- 
liere,  whom  the  King  loved  secretly.  Vigarani, 
who  arranged  the  fetes  of  Fouquet — of  whom  Louis 
XIV.  was  jealous  on  account  of  his  riches  and  his 


THE  LABYRINTH  :     STATUE  OF  MINERVA 


THE  GARDEN 

splendid  specimens  of  art — had  organised  the  illu- 
minations and  fireworks  that  completed  the  ballet, 
the  subject  of  which  was  taken  from  Ariosto,  and  in 
which  the  King  took  the  part  of  Roger. 

The  success  of  these  superb  revels  attached  Louis 
still  more  to  Versailles,  and  perhaps  decided  him  to 
move  the  Court  thither.  The  Francinis  or  Fran- 
cines,  who  were  skilful  in  the  engineering  of  water- 
works, were  also  introduced  to  his  Majesty  by  Fou- 
quet  at  the  same  time  as  Le  Notre  and  Le  Brun,  and 
laid  Versailles  under  the  spell  of  the  sparkling 
waters.  This  was  in  1668.  All  the  artists  in  France 
set  to  work,  and  little  by  little,  grove  by  grove,  foun- 
tain by  fountain,  the  magic  of  this  "  most  beautiful 
spot  in  the  world  "  was  born. 

On  the  other  side  of  the  Parterre  d'Eau,  at  the 
entrance  to  the  Parterre  du  Nord,  two  bronzes  cast 
by  the  Kellers  act  as  fellows  to  the  "  children  on  the 
sphinxes."  One  is  copied  from  an  antique  L'Arro- 
tino  (the  knife-grinder),  in  the  Uffizi  at  Florence. 
The  other  is  a  reproduction  of  the  Venus  of  Coyze- 
vox,  the  original  being  now  in  the  Louvre.  The 
pedestal  of  the  latter  is  dated  1686.  The  idea  of 
this  work  of  the  master  is  taken  from  the  famous 
"  Modest  Venus."  The  harmonious  lines  of  the  lis- 
som body  are  well  known,  and  the  pretty  gesture 
with  which  the  arms  hide  the  maiden's  nude  beauty. 


VERSAILLES 

The  tablets  by  which  the  Northern  and  Southern 
Parterres  are  bordered  are  ornamented  with  vases  of 
marble,  and  more  especially  with  little  bronze  vases, 
on  which  is  some  curious  workmanship  by  Claude 
Ballin.  Ballin  was  the  King's  goldsmith,  and  it  was 
he  who,  at  this  period,  chased  the  monarch's  silver 
furniture. 

Just  in  front  of  the  Parterre  d'Eau,  and  on  each 
side  of  the  steps  of  Latona,  are  the  "  Cabinets  des 
Animaux."  To  the  left  is  the  one  that  was  formerly 
called  the  Fountain  of  the  Dawn;  to  the  right  is  the 
Fountain  of  Diana.  There  are  two  basins  at  dif- 
ferent levels,  and  the  water  falls  softly  over  the 
coloured  marble  from  one  to  the  other  in  a  cascade. 
At  the  corners  of  the  basins  there  are  admirable 
groups  representing  subjects  connected  with  the 
chase,  in  which  the  sculptors  of  animals  of  the  grand 
siecle  have  shown  all  their  surprising  mastery  of 
their  art.  Here  Houzeau  and  Van  Cleve  were 
employed. 

The  statue  that  gave  its  name  to  the  Fountain  of 
the  Dawn  stands  a  little  way  back,  near  the  steps 
of  Latona.  It  is  charming  and  graceful,  with  a  star 
upon  its  forehead ;  at  its  feet  there  is  a  cock  beneath 
the  folds  of  the  trailing  garment,  which  reveals  the 
shoulder  and  the  beautiful  arm  that  is  raised  to  point 
to  the  Dawn.  This  work  is  by  Gaspard  Marsy.  It 
[160] 


THE  GARDEN 

is  accompanied  by  other  statues,  which  form  part  of 
a  series  of  twenty-four,  ordered  altogether  by  Col- 
bert in  1674;  and  as  they  are  of  precious  workman- 
ship they  are  placed  in  the  near  neighbourhood  of 
the  royal  dwelling.  It  was  Charles  Le  Brun  who 
designed  them,  as  he  always  did;  and  the  allegories 
are  in  the  taste  of  the  period. 

The  subjects  are:  The  Four  Elements,  the  Four 
Seasons,  the  Four  Hours  of  the  Day,  the  Four  Quar- 
ters of  the  Globe,  the  Four  Poems,  and  the  Four 
Temperaments  (or  Dispositions  of  Man).  These 
childish  divisions,  which  convey  little  to  our  minds 
to-day,  pleased  the  fancy  of  our  forefathers.  The 
statues  cost  the  King  a  hundred  and  fifty  thousand 
livres;  and  reasons  connected  with  composition  and 
balance  have  fixed  their  position  and  grouping  most 
happily.  Some  of  these  figures  are  masterpieces. 

Such,  for  instance,  is  Spring,  which  stands  near 
the  Dawn.  It  is  an  exquisite  figure  of  Flora  with 
roses  in  her  hair;  she  is  carrying  a  basket  of  flowers; 
her  rather  cold  expression  is  redeemed  by  the  har- 
mony of  the  lines.  We  owe  this  to  the  chisel  of 
Magnier. 

Round  the  Fountain  of  Diana  there  is  a  similar 

arrangement  of  graceful  statues.    The  one  facing 

the  Dawn  is  the  Air,  by  Le  Hongre.     It  stands  in 

the  same  place  as  when  it  was  admired  by  the  am- 

[161] 


VERSAILLES 

bassadors  of  the  King  of  Siam,  who  visited  Versailles 
in  1686.  The  ambassadors  showed  their  good  taste, 
says  the  Mercure  gazette,  by  making  a  very  long 
examination  of  the  statue  called  the  Air,  "which  is 
thought  very  highly  of  on  account  of  the  delicacy 
of  its  workmanship  and  its  accuracy  of  form."  The 
young  goddess  seems  to  be  enveloping  herself  in 
halos;  the  robe  that  floats  round  her  is  as  though  it 
were  the  atmosphere  sheltering  her;  the  eagle,  king 
of  the  air,  is  at  her  feet. 

At  the  extreme  edge  of  the  basin  is  Diana  the 
Huntress,  from  whom  the  fountain  takes  its  name; 
she  represents  the  hour  of  evening,  and  on  her  fore- 
head is  the  crescent  of  the  night.  The  figure  is  tall 
and  slight,  and  seems  to  be  moving  quickly  forward, 
followed  by  her  bounding  greyhound.  This  is  one 
of  the  rarest  works  of  art  in  the  park,  and  is  by 
Desjardins. 

Venus,  who  represents  the  ardent  hour  of  midday, 
accompanies  the  chaste  Diana.  Her  pure  charm 
and  divine  grace  are  unequalled,  for  Gaspard  Marsy, 
trained  in  the  study  of  the  antique,  united  in  this 
figure  the  perfection  of  Greek  art  with  the  freshness 
of  the  French  spirit. 

Everywhere,  against  the  dark  background  of  the 
trees,  we  see  the  white  procession  in  all  its  beauty. 
All  along  the  fences  of  the  Parterre  du  Nord  it  goes, 


GARDEN   OF  THE  PETIT  TRIANON 


THE   GARDEN 

down  the  steps  of  Latona,  and  across  the  grass  plots, 
until  it  is  lost  among  the  luxuriant  trees.  Let  us  fol- 
low it  along  the  Path  of  the  Three  Fountains,  leading 
to  the  grove  of  the  same  name,  where  once  the  music 
of  many  jets  of  water  rose  from  three  basins  that  are 
now  filled  up. 

After  the  Venus  of  Marsy  we  come  to  the  Europe 
of  Mazeline,  which  is  said  to  be  a  portrait  of  one  of 
Louis  XIV.'s  mistresses,  Madame  de  Montespan. 
Close  to  this  statue  is  Africa,  represented  by  a  vigor- 
ous and  resolute  negress,  a  work  of  striking  realism, 
which  is  followed  by  the  Night  of  Roan.  A  woman 
smiles  mysteriously;  her  brow  is  crowned  with 
poppies;  her  dress  is  sewn  with  stars;  she  holds  the 
lantern  of  the  night;  and  the  bird  of  darkness  is  at 
her  feet. 

The  World,  by  Massou,  follows,  and  the  Pastoral 
Poem,  a  work  full  of  rural  charm,  by  Granier.  Let 
us  leave  the  Path  of  the  Three  Fountains  at  this  junc- 
tion of  paths,  where  we  find  the  orators  and  sages  of 
antiquity  gathered  together.  They  are  expressed  in 
a  somewhat  monotonous  form,  but  there  are  certain 
details  by  which  we  may  recognise  Apollonius, 
Ulysses,  and  Lysias.  We  will  go  on  our  way,  follow- 
ing the  line  of  statues,  which  are  of  little  importance, 
however,  until  we  come  to  Winter,  a  fine  old  man  in 
marble  with  an  air  of  weariness,  the  work  of  the 


VERSAILLES 

genial  Girardon.  The  master  has  put  the  whole  of 
his  artist's  soul  into  this  forceful  work.  One  should 
visit  it  at  the  time  when  its  aesthetic  effect  is  strongest, 
when  the  desolate  park  is  robbed  of  all  its  foliage. 
The  power  of  the  sculptor  tragically  and  earnestly 
recalls  the  realities  of  life  and  pain,  among  all  the 
proud  and  joyous  allegories  of  the  gardens. 

And  now  we  have  reached  the  Baths  of  the 
Nymphs,  while  the  two  statues  at  the  corners  of  the 
Water  Path  form  part  of  the  series  of  "  Tempera- 
ments," a  series  whose  symbolism  is  very  wearisome. 
Returning  to  the  corner  of  the  fence  we  come  to  the 
Satirical  Poem,  a  real,  biting  page  from  Boileau, 
translated  into  marble.  The  subjects  that  follow  are 
without  interest,  but  quite  close  to  the  Palace  is  the 
Heroic  Poem,  a  figure  which  Drouilly  has  invested 
with  the  proud  and  noble  bearing  of  Louis  XIV.  him- 
self. He  is  crowned  with  laurels;  his  whole  air  is 
magnificent;  and  upon  the  damascene  corslet  that  he 
wears  above  his  Roman  garment  is  a  sun,  the  emblem 
of  the  King. 

The  Northern  Parterre,  round  which  we  have  just 
been  walking,  has  preserved  the  appearance  given  to 
it  by  Le  Notre,  which  we  may  see  in  old  pictures. 
The  parterre,  as  formerly,  is  composed  of  turf  and 
flowers,  in  triangles  arranged  side  by  side. 

Among  the  gay  flower-beds  are  two  basins  of  clear, 
[.66] 


THE   GARDEN 

crystalline  water,  the  old  Basins  of  the  Crowns,  orig- 
inally ornamented  by  Le  Hongre  and  Tubi.  But 
the  numerous  restorations  of  the  two  basins  have  de- 
molished the  great  beflowered  crown  formerly  held 
up  by  clustered  nymphs  and  tritons.  Nothing  re- 
mains but  the  harmonious  groupings  of  the  nymphs 
and  seagods. 

Between  them  rises  the  exquisite,  the  incomparable 
Fountain  of  the  Pyramid,  by  Francois  Girardon. 
This  marvellous  piece  of  work  stands,  beneath  its 
own  glittering  jets,  just  opposite  to  the  Water  Path. 
Le  Brun  devised  the  idea  of  it,  which  was  used  to 
such  advantage  by  the  most  gifted  of  artists.  He 
gave  the  most  minute  attention  to  this  work,  which  is 
one  of  the  oldest  at  Versailles,  having  been  put  in  its 
place  in  1669.  If  the  general  form  of  the  fountain  is 
borrowed  from  the  Italians,  how  French  is  every 
minutest  detail  in  its  charm,  and  grace,  and  intellec- 
tuality! It  is  composed  of  the  flora  and  fauna  of  the 
ocean,  among  which  sirens  and  tritons  are  deporting 
themselves.  Upon  the  lead,  which  was  originally 
gilded,  as  much  workmanship  has  been  employed  as 
though  it  were  a  specimen  of  the  goldsmith's  art. 
Under  the  quivering  foam  the  sea-gods  seem  to  be 
alive,  as  they  laughingly  chase  each  other  in  the  run- 
ning water;  for  it  is  especially  on  the  day  when  the 
water  is  playing  that  the  fountains  seize  our  imagina- 


VERSAILLES 

tion.  The  various  groups  only  reach  their  full  signi- 
ficance when  they  are  animated  and  inundated  by  tor- 
rents of  spray. 

Further  on,  towards  the  Water  Path,  is  the  Bath  of 
the  Nymphs  of  Diana,  also  the  work  of  Girardon. 
The  artist  has  decorated  the  deep  square  basin  with  a 
bas-relief,  which  is  as  pure  as  an  antique.  Eleven 
nymphs  of  graceful  outline  are  disporting  themselves 
on  the  borders  of  a  river.  Time  has  tinged  the  col- 
oured lead  with  green;  rosy  tints  and  blue  shadows 
pass  across  the  dream-like  landscape;  and  when  the 
silver  cascade  glides  over  the  bodies  of  the  maidens 
they  seem  to  shiver  under  the  touch  of  the  water. 
The  scene,  so  full  of  graceful  movement,  is  lively  and 
animated;  the  groups  of  girls  spread  out  as  though  in 
a  garland,  and  in  the  golden  air  one  seems  to  hear 
their  chattering  voices,  their  laughter,  their  cries  of 
joy.  On  the  sides,  Girardon's  masterly  work  is  ac- 
companied by  bas-reliefs  by  Le  Hongre  and  Le  Gros. 
They  represent  sea-gods,  naiads  and  little  tritons,  sur- 
rounded by  the  fruits  of  the  sea. 

Leaving  the  Bath  of  the  Nymphs  of  Diana,  we 
enter,  on  the  same  level,  the  beautiful  Allee  d'Eau,  or 
Water  Path.  This  shady  walk  at  first  contained 
seven  little  fountains,  repeated  twice,  and  formed  of 
clusters  of  children  in  gilded  lead.  They  held  up 
metal  baskets  filled  with  fruits  and  flowers,  modelled 
[168] 


BRONZE  AMORINE  IN  THE  ALLEE   D'EAU 


THE   GARDEN 

by  Massou  and  Le  Hongre.  It  was  Claude  Perrault, 
the  doctor-architect,  who  conceived  the  idea  of  these 
graceful  groups,  the  oldest  of  which  were  set  up  in 
1670. 

Eight  years  later  the  number  of  groups  was  in- 
creased to  twenty-two,  and  in  1688  the  whole  series 
was  recast  in  bronze,  in  the  form  that  we  see 
to-day. 

This  is  the  "  Alice  des  Marmousets,"  or  "  Path  of 
Urchins,"  as  it  is  popularly  called — the  charming 
walk  where  a  whole  world  of  little  tritons,  cupids, 
and  termini  are  intertwined,  playing,  dancing,  sing- 
ing ;  and  when,  on  the  day  of  the  Grandes  Eaux,  the 
rushing  water  passes  over  them,  they  really  seem  to 
be  alive  under  the  stream. 

The  end  of  this  path  where  gaiety  reigns  opens  out 
into  a  crescent  to  enclose  the  Basin  of  the  Dragon. 
The  leaden  figures  that  rise  from  the  waters  of  the 
Basin  of  the  Dragon  are  quite  modern  and  rather 
quaint  imitations  of  old  ones  that  have  disappeared. 
They  are,  however,  of  an  imposing  appearance.  The 
monster  whose  wings  are  outspread  in  the  middle  of 
the  water  is  the  serpent  Python  whom  Apollo  van- 
quished; he  is  preparing  to  fight  the  dolphins  who 
are  dashing  towards  him.  Some  children  riding 
swans  are  aiming  arrows  at  the  creature. 

This  restoration  took  place  at  the  same  time  as  that 


VERSAILLES 

of  the  Basin  of  Neptune,  which  was  just  finished  in 
time  for  the  fetes  of  1889,  celebrating  the  centen- 
ary of  the  States  General  that  met  at  Versailles  in 
1789. 

The  huge  semi-circle  of  the  Basin  of  Neptune  lies 
behind  the  Basin  of  the  Dragon.  It  is  arranged  like 
an  antique  theatre,  and  it  preserves  all  its  decorative 
value  even  when  there  is  no  water  to  vary  its  vast  lines 
It  presents,  however,  one  of  the  finest  effects  of  water 
at  Versailles,  for  the  jets  reach  a  height  of  twenty-one 
metres.  This  basin  was  designed  by  Le  Notre,  and 
Mansart  superintended  the  greater  part  of  its  con- 
struction. The  restoration  of  the  wall  that  supports 
it,  which  Gabriel  carried  out  under  Louis  XV.,  made 
hardly  any  change  in  the  original  plan. 

The  indifferent  state  of  Louis  XIV.'s  finances  at 
the  time  of  the  League  of  Augsbourg  prevented  the 
realisation  of  his  schemes  for  the  decoration  of  the 
Basin  of  Neptune;  but  they  were  resumed  by  Louis 
XV.,  and  carried  out  with  such  energy  that  they  re- 
sulted in  the  most  successful  and  most  gigantic  dec- 
orations in  lead  existing  in  the  world. 

The  principal  subject  represents  Neptune  and 
Amphitrite  seated  in  a  great  sea-shell,  surrounded  by 
nereids,  tritons,  and  marine  monsters.  The  group  is 
extremely  animated,  and  full  of  grace  and  vigour. 
This  beautifully  moulded  piece  of  work  is  by  the 


THE  GARDEN 

elder  Adam,  whose  signature  is  on  the  lead,  with  the 
date  1740,  the  year  when  the  decorations  of  the  basin 
were  set  up. 

On  the  plateau  to  the  right  is  a  work  by  Jean-Bap- 
tiste  Lemoine.  It  represents  the  ocean  as  a  nude 
young  man  of  great  beauty,  seated  on  a  marine  mon- 
ster. On  the  plateau  to  the  left  is  Proteus,  modelled 
by  Bouchardon.  The  fine  old  man  is  lying  upon  a 
giant  unicorn,  and  round  him  are  marine  plants,  some 
fish,  and  a  serpent.  At  the  extremities  of  the  basin 
two  delightful  little  Loves,  in  which  we  begin  to  see 
the  seductiveness  of  the  little  winged  god  of  the  end 
of  the  eighteenth  century,  are  by  Bouchardon.  They 
are  riding  two  dragons,  and  the  monsters,  despite 
their  irritation,  are  obedient  to  the  chubby  little 
hands  that  restrain  them  by  the  help  of  flowing 
scarves  flung  round  their  necks. 

The  shelf  surrounding  the  basin  is  bordered  by  a 
gutter  from  which  rise  twenty-three  jets  of  water; 
the  shelf  supports  eleven  vases  of  lead,  of  which 
double  the  number  appears  to  right  and  left  of  the 
chief  group.  They  are  ornamented  with  a  variety 
of  details. 

Even  when  this  magnificent  basin  is  lying  quietly 
in  the  shade  of  the  venerable  trees  it  is  full  of  dignity. 
Beyond  its  still  waters  one  can  see  the  long,  cool  walk 
of  the  Marmousets,  dominated  by  the  Fountain  of  the 

[-73] 


VERSAILLES 

Pyramid  as  though  by  a  splendid  bouquet;  and  be- 
yond that  again  appears  part  of  the  Palace,  outlined 
against  the  sky.  But  when,  on  the  day  of  the  Grandes 
Eaux,  the  scene  is  enlivened  by  the  rising  waters,  the 
Basin  of  Neptune  has  quite  a  magical  effect. 

The  park  is  bounded  on  this  side  by  large  trees, 
which  surround  the  circular  part  of  the  basin;  and 
beneath  their  shade  are  three  large  pieces  of  sculp- 
ture, which  have  no  value  beyond  that  of  their  decora- 
tive effect. 

One  of  them,  however,  the  one  in  the  centre,  is  a 
famous  group,  placed  here  only  in  1702.  It  repre- 
sents The  King's  Renown  as  a  woman  writing  Louis 
XIV.'s  life  in  the  book  of  History,  which  is  supported 
by  Time.  Renown  has  outspread  wings  and  the  air 
of  one  inspired;  in  her  left  hand  she  holds  a  portrait 
of  Louis  XIV.,  a  very  unmistakable  portrait,  with 
the  long  nose  accentuating  the  profile,  and  the  heavy 
curled  peruke  framing  the  face.  But  all  this  was 
renewed  under  the  Restoration,  for  the  original 
medallion  was  defaced  in  1792,  at  the  time  when  the 
revolutionary  authorities  were  trying  to  proscribe  all 
royal  effigies  in  works  of  art. 

This  group,  which  was  designed  by  Le  Brun,  was 
executed  in  Rome  and  completed  in  1686  by 
Domenico  Guidi.  The  composition  is  heavy  and 
massive;  it  is  not  seen  with  equal  clearness  from  every 

[174] 


THE  ALLEE  D'EAU 


THE   GARDEN 

side;  and  it  is  wanting  in  that  harmonious  simplicity 
with  which  the  French  sculptors  of  the  same  period 
invested  their  allegorical  works.  Such  a  work  of  art 
as  this,  together  with  the  famous  equestrian  statue  by 
Bernin — relegated  by  Louis  XIV.'s  offended  taste  to 
the  end  of  the  Piece  des  Suisses — furnish  us  with  the 
best  and  most  instructive  comparison,  and  enables  us 
to  judge  how  justly  the  "  sceptre  of  the  arts,"  accord- 
ing to  the  phrase  of  the  day,  was  wrung  from  Italy 
by  the  France  of  that  period. 

The  Water  Path  was  formerly  bordered  on  one  side 
by  the  Grove  of  the  Three  Fountains  and  on  the  other 
by  that  of  the  Arc  de  Triomphe.  The  former  is  quite 
in  disorder,  and  the  other  has  kept  but  little  of  its 
former  magnificence. 

It  took  its  name  from  a  triumphal  arch  raised  in 
honour  of  Louis  XIV.  It  formed  three  doorways  of 
gilded  ironwork,  which  framed  the  sparkling  waters 
in  marble  and  gold.  To  the  right  and  left  of  the 
grove  the  Fountains  of  Glory  and  of  Victory  were 
surmounted  by  a  genius  holding  a  crown  of  gold; 
and  lastly,  the  group  known  as  France  Triumphant 
called  for  the  admiration  of  all.  This  still  exists, 
having  survived  the  destruction  of  the  grove  in  1775, 
when  Louis  XVI.  began  to  alter  the  gardens. 

The  Fountain  of  France  Triumphant,  which  has 
been  restored  in  our  own  days,  is  bereft  of  its  rich 

[177] 


VERSAILLES 

.  >•.#«*.•- 

gilding;  but  it  is  nevertheless  an  imposing  work  of 
art,  and  we  can  recognise  the  hand  of  Tubi  in  the 
majestic  woman  with  the  long  mantle,  bearing  upon 
her  shield  the  "  Sun  "  of  Louis  XIV. 

By  the  same  master  is  the  figure  of  Spain,  repre- 
sented as  a  young  man  seated  on  a  lion  beside  the 
triumphal  car  of  France.  He  has  the  round,  curly 
head  common  to  Tubi's  statues. 

The  fine  old  man  who  represents  the  Empire — van- 
quished like  Spain — is  seated  upon  an  eagle.  In  its 
vigorous  treatment  it  is  easy  to  recognise  the  work  of 
Coyzevox.  The  group  as  a  whole  is  a  little  heavy, 
but  it  is  not  without  nobility,  and  perhaps  the  effect 
may  have  been  lightened  by  the  brilliant  gilding  with 
which  it  was  formerly  covered. 

In  the  grove,  so  greatly  shorn  of  its  old  splendour, 
several  works  of  art  have  been  brought  together, 
though  disconnected  in  subject  and  of  various  origins, 
and  have  acquired  a  value  of  their  own  through  being 
well  arranged,  and  suitable  for  the  open  air.  We 
may  notice  especially  two  fine  statues,  originally 
placed  in  the  famous  Labyrinth,  which  was  done 
away  with  in  Louis  XVI.'s  time  because  it  was  fall- 
ing into  disrepair.  In  it  were  gathered  all  the  inter- 
esting groups  in  coloured  lead  representing  the  fables 
of  flLsop,  of  which  none  have  been  preserved  but  the 
two  fine  figures  of  Love  and  Msop,  which  still  show 
[178] 


THE  GARDEN 

their  original  rosy  tints  under  the  green  discoloration 
of  time. 

Among  the  great  walks  that  diverge  from  the 
Basin  of  Neptune,  Le  Notre  planned  the  bright  grove 
of  the  Water  Theatre.  It  took  its  name  from  its  con- 
figuration, and  its  effects  of  water  were  unequalled; 
but  nothing  remains  to  us  of  this  marvellous  spot,  this 
mass  of  fountains  and  statues,  except  engravings  and 
paintings  of  it.  The  Water  Theatre  disappeared  in 
the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century,  and  in  its  place 
is  a  large  cup-shaped  hollow  covered  with  turf  and 
known  as  the  Rond  Vert,  which  is  charming  in  its 
beautiful  simplicity,  with  its  crown  of  great  trees. 
The  Island  of  Children  still  exists  quite  close  to  it, 
and  adds  a  touch  of  gaiety  to  its  wildness. 

These  pretty  children,  full  of  smiling  charm  and 
grace,  are  playing  in  the  water  of  the  basin,  and 
climbing  upon  the  rock.  The  name  of  the  sculptor 
of  this  masterpiece  of  freshness  was  unknown  until 
our  own  day;  but  we  may  feel  quite  certain  that  it  is 
the  work  of  the  accomplished  master  Hardy,  to 
whom,  among  others,  we  owe  the  admirable  frieze 
of  the  children  at  play,  in  the  Salon  of  the  CEil-de- 
Bceuf. 

The  large  Grove  of  the  Baths  of  Apollo  only  dates 
from  1778.  It  replaced  several  groves  of  older  date 

[179] 


VERSAILLES 

that  were  planted  and  done  away  with  at  various 
times. 

The  celebrated  group,  Apollo  attended  by 
Nymphs,  which,  during  the  earliest  days  of  Ver- 
sailles, under  the  Grand  Roi,  adorned  the  famous 
Grotto  of  Tethys,  was  finally  brought  to  this  spot. 
From  the  Grotto  of  Tethys  it  was  taken  to  the  Grove 
of  Domes;  there  it  was  placed  under  some  gilded 
canopies  in  the  first  Grove  of  the  Baths  of  Apollo; 
finally,  under  Louis  XVI.,  Hubert  Robert,  the  great 
landscape  gardener,  in  obedience  to  the  taste  of  the 
day,  designed  for  this  corner  of  the  vast  French  gar- 
den a  very  beautiful  "  English  "  one.  He  made  a 
new  and  very  picturesque  grotto,  which  still  exists, 
and  the  beautiful  group  of  the  god  of  light  and  of  the 
nymphs  was  placed  in  it. 

There  is  nothing  here  of  the  majesty  and  symmetry 
of  Louis  XIV.'s  park;  but  there  is  all  the  charm  of 
the  unexpected,  of  tasteful  disorder,  of  a  conventional 
kind  of  wildness,  of  great  trees,  and  water  falling  in 
a  cascade  from  the  grotto  cut  in  the  rock  and  sup- 
ported by  columns.  This  guarded  corner,  where  art 
is  concealed  under  a  semblance  of  real  nature,  is  a 
restful  change  for  the  mind  and  the  eye,  after  the 
sumptuous  symmetrical  walks,  the  groves  arranged 
in  geometrical  figures,  the  whole  carefully  thought- 
[180] 


FOUNTAIN  AT  THE  GRAND  TRIANON 


THE  GARDEN 

out  plan,  in  short,  which  gave  so  much  pleasure  to 
our  forefathers  in  their  intellectual  courage. 

It  was  Hubert  Robert  who  arranged  the  beautiful 
sculpture  at  the  entrance  to  the  mysterious  cave, 
where  it  appears  to  gain  in  whiteness  from  the  sur- 
rounding shadow. 

Weaned  by  his  day's  journey  in  the  chariot  of  the 
sun,  Apollo  has  come  to  rest  in  the  dwelling  of  the 
goddess  of  the  sea.  The  daughters  of  Tethys  crowd 
round  the  glorious  Phoebus,  bathing  him,  and  bring- 
ing perfumes.  The  divine  son  of  Latona  yields  his 
youthful  form  to  the  tender  care  of  the  nereids;  his 
proud,  noble  head,  with  its  flowing  hair,  is  crowned 
with  flowers;  his  profile  is  that  of  Louis  XIV.,  for 
the  Grand  Roi  loved  to  see  himself  in  the  character 
of  the  God  of  Light,  and  Apollo  appears  in  all  parts 
of  the  park,  as  does  also  Louis's  emblem,  the  Sun. 

There  are  eight  daughters  of  the  sea,  surrounding 
the  God  of  Day,  each  with  her  own  special  grace 
carefully  rendered,  and  manifested  in  gestures  of 
submission,  or  voluptuousness,  or  timidity.  Their 
graceful  forms,  bowed  as  though  in  prayer  or  rising 
like  flowers  towards  the  light,  are  full  of  the  radiance 
of  youth,  and  of  virgin  purity  and  warmth.  Girar- 
don,  always  so  masterly  in  the  representation  of 
sweetness  and  truth,  is  the  chief  author  of  this  great 


VERSAILLES 

work,  but  Regnaudin  came  to  his  assistance  and  gave 
it  the  full  benefit  of  his  powerful  touch. 

In  the  hollows  of  the  Grotto,  to  right  and  left,  were 
placed  the  horses  of  the  Sun.  Those  on  the  right 
are  the  work  of  Gilles  Guerin.  The  spirited  and 
quivering  animals  are  boldly  modelled.  Those  on 
the  left  are  by  the  brothers  Marsy,  and  although 
technically  unconventional  they  are  surprisingly 
animated. 

At  the  end  of  Marie  Antoinette's  favourite  grove, 
at  the  junction  of  the  long  straight  walks,  one  of  the 
four  Basins  of  the  Seasons,  that  of  Ceres,  shows  that 
goddess  surrounded  by  children  playing  in  the  corn. 
This  group  is  of  lead,  and  was  formerly  gilded.  In 
it  Regnaudin  showed  a  profound  knowledge  of  his 
art.  Its  full  significance  is  only  seen  when  the  jet  of 
water  falls  upon  the  flowery  harvest. 

The  Goddess  of  Summer,  though  modelled  rather 
heavily,  is  not  wanting  in  charm.  Lying  back  among 
the  rich  products  of  the  fields  she  watches  the  liquid 
column  rising  towards  the  blue  sky  and  shining 
among  the  leaves.  Three  naked  cupids  are  lying  in 
the  corn;  under  the  flowing  water  they  are  as  bright 
as  poppies  scattered  in  the  field. 

The  round  basin  of  Flora  is  not  far  from  here,  at 
the  junction  with  the  Path  of  Spring.  Though  it  has 
been  restored  the  pretty  statue  has  kept  its  charms  of 


THE   GARDEN 

grace  and  delicacy.  Above  its  smiling  face  it  is 
crowned  with  three  nosegays  of  eglantine.  The 
whole  season  of  flowers  is  in  this  island  of  roses. 
Naked  Loves  are  playing  with  garlands  that  droop 
into  the  water  of  the  basin.  Tubi  put  into  this  work 
all  the  art,  harmony,  grace  and  freshness  at  his  com- 
mand. 

From  the  Basin  of  Flora  a  walk  leads  us  to  the 
Grove  of  the  Star.  There  was  originally  in  the  cen- 
tre of  this  grove  an  important  fountain  called  the 
Mountain  of  Water,  which  was  done  away  with  in 
1704,  and  has  left  no  sign  of  its  existence.  A  few 
antiques,  such  as  the  excavations  in  Italy  have  re- 
vealed in  such  numbers,  are  becoming  moss-grown 
at  the  corners  of  the  hedges. 

The  neighbouring  fountain,  called  the  Obelisk, 
occupies  a  large  space  of  regular  form,  surrounded 
by  fine  thickets.  The  Banqueting  Hall  or  Council 
Hall  was  formerly  here,  but  was  destroyed  at  the 
same  time  as  the  Mountain  of  Water,  and  replaced 
by  this  raised  basin,  the  slopes  of  which  are  turfed. 
In  the  centre  is  the  cluster  of  reeds  from  which  the 
jets  of  water  rise  in  the  form  of  an  obelisk. 

Let  us  now  retrace  our  steps  towards  the  Basins  of 
the  Seasons,  in  search  of  the  Fountain  of  Enceladus. 
French  art  has  here  yielded  to  the  taste  of  Italy,  but 
the  result  is  not  unsuccessful.  The  figure  is  by 


VERSAILLES 

Marsy.  The  giant,  who  is  crushed  under  the  debris 
of  Mount  Ossa  and  Olympus,  which  he  had  heaped 
up  in  order  to  climb  to  the  sky,  is  of  considerable 
power.  From  his  mouth  issues  a  jet  of  water  sev- 
enty-eight feet  in  height. 

The  Grove  of  the  Domes  is  quite  close  to  the  En- 
celadus.  It  has  experienced  many  changes.  It  takes 
its  name  from  two  pavilions  in  coloured  marble  cov- 
ered with  gilded  lead,  which  no  longer  exist.  They 
were  designed  by  Mansart,  and  the  decorative  scheme 
was  completed  by  eight  statues  on  pedestals  orna- 
mented with  shells. 

Louis  XIV.  loved  to  visit  this  spot  accompanied 
by  the  ladies  of  the  Court.  Refreshments  were 
served  to  the  sound  of  music.  The  chronicles  of  the 
Court  frequently  mention  the  giving  of  entertain- 
ments in  the  Grove  of  the  Domes. 

The  delicious  domes  of  white  marble  had  coloured 
columns  and  pilasters,  and  at  the  corners  and  between 
the  pilasters  were  bronze  trophies.  They  disap- 
peared in  the  nineteenth  century  for  want  of  repairs, 
which  is  much  to  be  regretted.  We  may  derive  some 
idea  of  the  general  effect  from  the  double  exedra 
that  has  recently  been  restored  round  the  basin.  Its 
details  do  not  exactly  correspond  to  the  original  ar- 
rangement, but  as  a  whole  it  is  quite  in  the  spirit  of 
the  decorations  of  Le  Notre.  All  the  statues,  except 
[186] 


CHOIR  OF  THE  CHAPEL 


THE   GARDEN 

one,  that  adorned  this  grove  at  the  end  of  Louis 
XIV.'s  reign  have  been  replaced  upon  their  pedestals, 
and  form  a  most  delightful  collection  of  choice  works 
of  art. 

The  most  ancient  and  the  most  delicate  of  these 
figures  is  Tubi's  Galatea.  She  has  the  beauty  of  an 
antique  Venus  and  the  intellectual  charm  of  a  woman 
of  to-day;  her  brow  is  crowned  with  flowers,  and  her 
eyes  seek  Acis  the  young  shepherd,  whose  song  she 
hears.  He,  the  rival  of  Polyphemus,  is  playing  the 
flute  quite  near  to  her,  and  caressing  the  beloved 
Nymph  with  his  eyes.  The  grace  of  his  young  form 
— also  the  work  of  Tubi — is  quite  incomparable. 
The  two  lovers  are  separated  by  a  figure  of  Aurora, 
by  Magnier.  The  young  goddess  is  opening  the 
gates  of  the  East  and  scattering  roses;  she  is  gliding 
lightly  upon  the  clouds  like  the  first  rays  of  morning. 

Leaving  the  Grove  of  the  Domes  by  the  gate 
through  which  we  entered  it,  we  proceed  towards  the 
Parterre  of  Latona,  approaching  it  from  below. 

Very  brilliant  in  their  new  gilding  are  the  three 
basins,  that  of  Latona  and  those  of  the  Lizards,  in 
which  we  see  the  metamorphosis  of  the  wicked 
peasants  of  Lycia,  who  refused  to  receive  the  mother 
of  Apollo  when  she  was  on  the  point  of  being  de- 
livered. 

The  carpet  of  turf  is  enclosed  by  brilliant  shrub- 


VERSAILLES 

beries ;  on  trie  steps  that  form  the  base  of  the  amphi- 
theatre are  vases,  always  full  of  flowers.  For  this  is 
the  gardeners'  pride,  and  has  always  been  their  fa- 
vourite spot  since  the  garden  was  first  made. 

The  clipped  yews  that  border  the  slopes  on  each 
side  of  the  parterre  should  be  somewhat  restrained  to 
avoid  injuring  the  design  of  Le  Notre.  These  trees 
are  too  luxuriant;  in  places  they  hide  the  statues  of 
the  parterre,  and  therefore  their  lines  are  not  merely 
unfortunate,  but  harmful.  All  along  the  slopes  of 
Latona  the  whiteness  of  marble  statues  is  contrasted 
with  the  background  of  dark  hedges.  They  are 
figures  copied  from  the  antique  by  the  pupils  of  our 
Royal  Academy  at  Rome,  and  have  no  value  but  that 
of  their  decorative  effect. 

At  the  bottom  of  the  Parterre  of  Latona  are 
grouped  the  principal  statues,  and  there  are  here 
some  admirable  termini,  facing  the  Palace.  They 
have  not  the  usual  stiffness  of  termini ;  they  are  sur- 
prisingly animated  in  expression,  and  although  in- 
spired by  the  art  of  Rome,  are  quite  modern  in 
spirit. 

There  is  a  succession  of  termini  all  along  the  Paths 
of  Spring  and  Autumn,  beginning  with  the  Diogenes 
of  Lespagnandel,  with  the  Ceres  of  Poulletier  facing 
it.  "  His  Majesty,"  says  Poulletier,  in  speaking  of 
this  work,  "  had  the  goodness  to  appear  satisfied  with 
[190] 


THE  GARDEN 

it  when  I  set  it  up,  and  exclaimed  repeatedly: ' There 
is  a  beautiful  woman!  How  rare  it  is  to  find  one 
like  her!'  It  is,  moreover,  a  fact  that  the  King 
showed  his  satisfaction  by  rewarding  me  in  propor- 
tion to  the  merit  he  found  in  my  work."  This  was 
the  time  when  the  King  paid  his  artists  liberally;  but 
later  on,  after  the  expenses  of  his  unfortunate  wars, 
he  changed  in  this  respect. 

The  semi-circle  at  the  top  of  the  grass  plots,  which 
corresponds  to  another  semi-circle  at  the  end  of  the 
Royal  Walk,  is  decorated  with  four  groups  of  un- 
equal worth.  Learned  tradition  attributed  wrong 
names  to  them,  which  figure  in  old  guide-books,  and 
even  in  recent  works.  We  will  only  call  attention 
to  the  Laocoon.  This  copy  by  Tubi  is  one  of  the  best 
of  the  many  that  have  been  made  of  the  famous 
Rhodian  work  of  art. 

Here,  in  Louis  XIV.'s  time,  stood  the  masterpieces 
of  Puget,  which  were  moved  to  the  Museum  of  the 
Louvre  during  the  last  century;  the  Perseus  deliver- 
ing Andromeda  and  the  Milo  of  Grotona,  which  com- 
bined all  the  special  tastes  of  the  Grand  Roi,  who 
showed  them  proudly  to  his  visitors.  And  it  was 
from  this  same  spot  that  he  preferred  to  point  out  to 
his  guests  the  beautiful  arrangement  of  the  gardens, 
for  it  is  from  here  that  the  paths  and  avenues  of  the 
park  diverge,  and  from  this  point,  too^  on  the  days 


VERSAILLES 

of  the  Grandes  Eaux,  one  can  obtain  the  most  exten- 
sive view  of  the  jets  of  water. 

By  going  along  the  Autumn  Walk  one  may  see  a 
new  series  of  termini,  and  a  copy  of  the  Dying  Gaul 
of  the  capital.  Its  fellow  is  the  celebrated  Nymph 
'with  the  Shell  of  Coyzevox,  as  a  matter  of  fact  only 
a  rather  weak  copy  of  the  original,  which  is  in  the 
Museum  of  the  Louvre,  sheltered  from  the  inclem- 
encies of  the  weather.  But  none  the  less  this  inter- 
pretation of  it  is  the  most  tasteful  and  bewitching 
statue  at  Versailles;  for  it  admirably  reproduces  the 
soft  curves  of  the  bending  figure,  and  the  pretty 
round  head.  In  her  pretty  fingers  the  girl  is  holding 
the  shell  in  which  she  is  catching  the  water  from  the 
flowing  urn  at  her  side.  In  the  perfection  of  the 
lines  one  may  detect  the  art  of  the  Ancients,  but  the 
charm  and  graciousness  of  the  smile  are  altogether 
French  in  spirit. 

The  wide,  majestic  Royal  Walk  spreads  out  before 
us  its  carpet  of  turf,  which  is  well  known  as  the  Tapis 
Vert  of  Versailles.  It  is  magnificently  framed  by 
lofty  trees  of  great  luxuriance,  which  throw  their 
shade  over  the  row  of  statues  leading  down  to  the 
Basin  of  Apollo — twelve  white  statues  along  the 
fence,  alternating  with  twelve  large  vases  decorated 
with  trophies  and  flowers.  Most  of  them  are  copies 
from  the  antique;  and  especially  noticeable  is  the 


THE  GARDEN 

delicate  Venus  de  Medici,  copied  by  Flamen,  so 
subtly  expressive  in  its  pretty  animation;  and  the 
Venus  leaving  the  Bath,  which  was  partly  the  orig- 
inal work  of  Legros,  and  resembles,  in  its  grace  and 
harmony,  a  work  by  Racine.  Twelve  colossal  marble 
vases,  original  in  shape  and  decorated  with  flowers 
and  ornaments,  alternate  with  the  twelve  statues  that 
stand  along  the  Tapis  Vert. 

The  Royal  Walk  ends  in  the  semi-circle  that  en- 
closes the  Basin  of  Apollo.  The  series  of  statues, 
standing  out  against  the  background  of  the  trees,  is 
continued  all  round  it,  but  there  is  nothing  in  them 
to  arrest  our  attention.  One  is  attracted  rather  by 
the  great  sheet  of  still  water  from  which  Apollo's 
glorious  car  emerges.  Here  J.  B.  Tubi's  delicate 
and  supple  art  becomes  amazingly  powerful.  This 
group  that  is  before  us  is  the  most  famous,  among  so 
many,  in  the  gardens  of  Versailles.  It  was  formerly 
gilded,  and  its  glittering  appearance  as  seen  from 
the  balconies  of  the  Palace  was  a  revelation  of  magi- 
cal brightness.  It  has  now  lost  its  dazzling  surface. 

Here  again,  in  the  features  of  the  young  god,  we 
find  those  of  Louis  XIV. ;  but  was  he  not  indeed  the 
Roi  Soleil,  this  Louis  who  bore  as  his  emblem  the 
radiant  head  of  Phoebus?  This  immense  group  is 
the  complement  of  the  one  in  the  Grotto  of  Tethys, 
and  represents  the  refreshed  Apollo  leaving  the 


VERSAILLES 

domain  of  his  spouse,  the  Goddess  of  the  Sea.  His 
triumphal  car  is  issuing  from  the  waves;  the  young 
god,  splendid  in  his  youth,  is  holding  the  reins  of  the 
four  horses  in  one  hand.  La  Fontaine  describes  the 
superb  team  in  these  words : 

Les  coursiers  de  ce  dieu  commengant  leur  carriere 
A  peine  out  hors  de  1'eau  la  croupe  tout  entiere; 
Cependant  on  les  voit  impatients  du  frein: 
Us  forment  la  rosee  en  secouant  leur  crin.     .    .     . 

The  long,  flowing  hair  is  crowned  with  laurels,  the 
proud  head  is  bent,  the  eyes  are  following  the  course 
of  the  divine  steeds,  who  are  rearing,  and  beating  the 
water  with  their  quivering  hoofs.  The  chariot  is 
surrounded  by  Tritons ;  and  one  of  them,  a  monstrous 
creature,  is  stiffening  his  body,  and  puffing  out  his 
cheeks  on  the  couch,  as  he  proclaims  to  the  Earth  the 
coming  of  the  brightness  of  day.  All  the  tints  of  the 
sky  are  reflected  in  the  water,  and  the  dark  trees  stand 
round  in  all  their  quiet  mystery. 

The  gates  at  this  point  serve  as  a  division  between 
the  gardens  and  the  old  "  Little  Park,"  which  has 
kept  its  enclosing  wall,  and  of  which  the  area  is  1738 
hectares,  while  the  "  Great  Park,"  the  hunting-park, 
measured  more  than  6600  hectares.  The  Little  Park 
is  crossed  by  the  Canal,  which  penetrates  into  the  gar- 
dens in  the  form  of  an  octagonal  sheet  of  water.  A 

[.96] 


THE  GARDEN 

flight  of  several  wide  steps  indicates  the  spot  where 
the  Court  of  three  reigns  was  in  the  habit  of  embark- 
ing, for  boating  was  at  all  times  a  favourite  diversion 
with  both  ladies  and  seigneurs. 

The  Grand  Canal  is  one  of  the  finest  sights  in  the 
gardens.  It  is  exactly  in  a  line  with  the  central  point 
of  the  Palace,  from  whose  windows  it  may  be  seen 
sparkling  and  quivering  in  unison  with  the  waters  of 
the  Parterre  d'Eau. 

N  It  was  first  designed  in  1667,  when  the  Basin  of 
Apollo  was  no  more  than  a  Basin  of  Swans,  without 
any  kind  of  ornament.  In  order  to  enlarge  the  view 
the  King  had  the  happy  idea  of  forming  this  Canal, 
which  should  drain  the  marshy  places  of  this  low- 
lying  ground.  The  gentlemen  of  the  Academy  of 
Sciences  were  consulted,  and  declared  that  the  opera- 
tion would  drain  the  plain  while  at  the  same  time 
beautifying  the  Park.  The  Canal  was  gradually  en- 
larged and  at  last  reached  the  fine  proportions  that 
we  see  to-day. 

It  is  1520  metres  in  length  by  120  metres  in  width. 
The  widest  end,  where  it  was  designed  for  a  long  time 
to  raise  a  building  with  colonnades,  is  195  metres 
wide.  The  "  cross-bar  of  the  Canal,"  which  cuts  it 
near  the  middle  in  the  form  of  a  cross,  is  1013  metres 
long,  and  extends  from  Trianon  to  the  site  of  the  old 
Menagerie,  where  the  King  reared  rare  animals  from 

[1973 


VERSAILLES 

every  foreign  country.  The  Canal  was  formerly  sur- 
rounded by  a  border  of  stone,  level  with  the  ground. 
The  sheet  of  water  near  the  Basin  of  Apollo  served  as 
a  port  for  the  very  numerous  pleasure  boats. 

This  flotilla,  which  disappeared  at  the  time  of  the 
Revolution,  was  composed,  in  the  days  of  the  Grand 
Rot,  of  boats  of  every  description,  built  by  the  naval 
architects  of  the  Royal  Navy.  There  were  launches 
among  them,  and  miniature  galiots  and  frigates. 
More  than  once  experiments  in  new  designs  for  large 
ships  of  war  were  made  upon  the  Canal  at  Versailles, 
where  the  work  was  carried  on  by  the  best  carpenters 
of  the  port  of  Dunkirk.  New  designs  for  additions 
to  the  flotilla  were  furnished  by  the  Admirals  Tour- 
ville  and  Duquesne,  and  the  Marquis  de  Langeron. 

If  this  miniature  flotilla  has  little  concern  with  the 
art  of  navigation,  it  has  at  all  events  a  place  in  the 
history  of  art.  Every  boat  was  a  gem  of  decoration ; 
Tubi,  Mazeline,  the  Marsys,  and  above  all  Philippe, 
the  first  of  the  Caffieri  family,  were  employed  in 
their  ornamentation;  they  were  delightfully  carved. 

The  Keller  brothers,  with  the  most  intelligent  care, 
had  cast,  in  the  Arsenal  of  Paris,  some  guns  for  a 
dainty  ship  of  war. 

The  most  remarkable  of  these  pretty  barques  was 
the  "  Grand  Galley,"  with  her  escutcheons  and  carv- 
ings, her  silken  awnings  fringed  with  gold,  her  pen- 


CAFFIERI'S  CLOCK 


THE  GARDEN 

nons  and  streamers,  and  rigging  of  gold  and  crimson 
silk.  She  was  a  reproduction  in  miniature  of  the  gal- 
ley Reale,  which  Puget  had  carved  for  the  Mediter- 
ranean fleet. 

In  1674  Venice,  the  town  of  gondolas,  sent  the 
Grand  Roi,  for  his  Canal  at  Versailles,  some  bril- 
liantly gilded  gondolas.  They  were  impelled  by 
Italian  gondoliers  in  their  picturesque  costume.  A 
certain  number  of  their  compatriots  joined  them,  at- 
tracted by  the  advantages  offered  to  them,  and  these, 
together  with  some  men  of  Provence,  composed  the 
regular  crews  of  the  Canal  boats.  Their  captain  was 
Consolin,  of  Marseilles;  but  nearly  all  the  names  of 
the  crews  are  Venetian. 

A  nautical  city  soon  grew  up  on  the  borders  of  the 
Canal,  a  sort  of  large  corporation  with  its  own 
regulations  and  customs.  In  the  "  little  town," 
which  was  enclosed  by  walls,  the  families  of  the 
Italian  immigrants  multiplied  and  lived  in  peace 
until  the  end  of  the  eighteenth  century.  Their  low 
houses  are  partly  preserved,  and  are  still  called  by  the 
old  name:  Little  Venice.  On  the  occasions  of  the 
great  Court  fetes  the  Grand  Canal  was  ornamented 
with  buildings  of  fire ;  the  illuminations  on  the  banks, 
reflected  by  the  water,  created  a  most  fantastic  effect. 
The  first  experiment  of  this  kind  took  place  in 
1673. 

[201] 


VERSAILLES 

The  Gazette  relates  that  on  the  King's  birthday 

Monseigneur  le  Dauphin  gave  a  great  fete  at  Ver- 
sailles, with  fireworks  on  the  Grand  Canal,  which 
was  illuminated  in  every  direction  with  an  infinity 
of  lights,  and  with  other  rejoicings  which  lasted  for 
a  great  part  of  the  night."  This  was  the  announce- 
ment of  that  wonderful  evening  in  August,  1674, 
which  was  the  climax  of  the  fetes  given  by  the  King 
in  honour  of  the  second  conquest  of  Tranche  Comte. 

The  illumination  of  all  the  gardens  was  superin- 
tended by  Vigarani.  As  soon  as  it  was  dark  the 
Court  went  out  to  walk  in  them.  The  grand  lines 
of  the  parterres  and  of  the  Royal  Walk  were  repro- 
duced in  light,  as  well  as  those  of  the  Grand  Canal 
throughout  its  length.  The  latter  was  decorated  with 
termini,  and  figures,  and  fish,  and  with  buildings  at 
different  distances.  At  the  head  of  the  Grand  Canal 
were  pyramids  of  light,  and  in  front  of  them  two 
horses  of  fire  driven  by  heroes  "  with  the  action  of 
those  of  Montecavallo  at  Rome."  Their  Majesties 
and  the  Court,  during  the  illuminations,  went  on  the 
water  in  gondolas. 

At  the  Cross  were  four  large  pavilions  ornamented 
with  termini;  at  the  end  that  reached  Trianon  was 
Neptune's  car  surrounded  by  tritons;  at  the  end  near 
the  Menagerie  was  that  of  Apollo,  with  the  Hours 
flying  at  his  horses'  heads.  All  these  designs,  com- 

[202] 


THE  GARDEN 

posed  of  transparencies,  were  at  least  twenty-two  feet 
high. 

In  the  space  at  the  furthest  extremity  of  the  Canal 
arose  the  principal  subject  in  the  illuminations,  a 
gigantic  palace  of  light  standing  on  rocks,  with  an 
arrangement  of  water-effects,  and  a  crowd  of  figures 
by  way  of  decoration. 

Spectacles  such  as  these  were  incomparably  fine, 
and  the  good  historiographer,  Felibien,  becomes  al- 
most eloquent  as  he  describes  them  thus : 

"  In  the  deep  silence  of  the  night  were  heard  the 
violins  that  followed  his  Majesty's  boat.  The  sound 
of  these  instruments  seemed  to  animate  the  various 
designs,  the  softened  light  of  which,  in  return,  lent  a 
special  charm  to  the  symphony  which  it  would  not 
have  had  in  total  darkness.  As  the  boats  passed 
slowly  to  and  fro  there  were  glimpses  between  them 
of  the  illuminated  water  round  about,  and,  as  the  oars 
struck  the  dark  surface  of  the  Canal  softly,  with 
measured  strokes,  they  marked  it  with  streaks  of 
light.  .  .  .  And  the  great  sheets  of  water,  lighted 
only  by  all  the  illuminated  designs,  resembled  long 
galleries  and  salons  enriched  and  adorned  by  archi- 
tecture and  statuary  of  a  degree  of  artistic  beauty  un- 
known before,  and  beyond  anything  the  mind  of  man 
can  conceive." 

Many  a  time  afterwards  fireworks  at  one  end  or 
[203] 


VERSAILLES 

the  other  of  the  illuminated  Canal  concluded  the 
great  nocturnal  festivities  of  the  Court  of  France. 
They  occurred  more  than  once  in  the  reign  of  Louis 
XV.  The  last  and  perhaps  the  most  beautiful  illu- 
mination of  the  Grand  Canal  and  the  surroundings 
of  the  Basin  of  Apollo  was  in  honour  of  the  marriage 
of  the  Dauphin,  Louis  XV.'s  grandson,  to  the  Arch- 
duchess Marie  Antoinette  of  Austria.  The  King's 
draughtsman,  Moreau  le  Jeune,  perpetuated  it  in 
one  of  his  most  famous  drawings,  which  is  in  the 
Louvre. 

From  the  windows  of  the  balcony  of  the  Galerie 
des  Glaces,  which  had  been  covered  with  a  grating, 
King  Louis  XV.  and  Marie  Antoinette,  who  had  not 
gone  down  into  the  gardens,  were  able  to  watch  the 
brilliant  bevy  of  the  ladies  of  the  Court  as  they 
walked  about  the  Parterre  d'Eau  and  gazed  at  the 
brightly  lighted  scene  stretching  away  into  the  dis- 
tance. They  were  all  in  full  dress  and  scintillating 
with  diamonds ;  and  the  first  of  them  all  was  the  beau- 
tiful favourite,  that  Comtesse  du  Barry  who  was 
afterwards  so  cordially  to  detest  the  young  Dauphine. 
Her  creature,  the  Due  d'Aiguillon,  the  future  Min- 
ister, had  gallantly  given  her  his  arm;  and  her 
blonde  beauty,  robed  in  one  of  her  sumptuous  toi- 
lettes of  gold  and  silver  tissue,  showed  to  the  best  ad- 
vantage under  the  illuminations.  At  a  little  distance 
[204] 


BRONZE  GROUP  ON  THE  PARTERRE  D'EAU 


THE  GARDEN 

was  her  enemy  the  Due  de  Choiseul,  with  his  sister 
the  Duchesse  de  Grammont,  that  friend  of  the  Mar- 
quise de  Pompadour  who  would  have  been  so  glad, 
at  her  death,  to  take  her  place.  Among  the  brilliant 
throng,  too,  were  the  languishing  Princesse  de  Lam- 
balle,  lately  married  in  France,  the  pretty  brunette 
Julia  de  Polignac,  who  was  to  become  the  friend  of 
the  future  Queen,  and  many  other  beautiful  women, 
intoxicated  with  fetes  and  pleasure,  who  were  crowd- 
ing all  they  could  into  their  lives,  as  though  they  felt 
themselves  to  be  threatened  by  fate. 

In  the  days  of  the  old  Monarchy  there  was  no  part 
of  the  gardens  of  Versailles  more  animated  in  appear- 
ance than  the  head  of  the  Grand  Canal.  The  general 
effect  was  extraordinary,  on  account  of  the  numbers 
of  boats  of  sorry  shape  with  their  rich  "  pavises  "  and 
brilliant  gilding.  The  sailors  always  seemed  to  be 
keeping  holiday:  the  crews  wore  close  vests,  blue  and 
red  coats  with  gold  buttons,  stockings  and  garters  of 
crimson  silk,  muslin  cravats,  and  ribbons  to  tie  their 
hair.  The  waistcoats  of  the  gondoliers  were  made 
of  crimson  Genoese  damask,  embroidered  in  gold  or 
silver,  and  they  wore  caps  of  black  velvet,  silk  stock- 
ings, and  shoes. 

It  was  possible  at  all  hours  to  select  a  boat  to  go  to 
Trianon  or  the  Menagerie,  or  merely  to  row  about 
to  the  sound  of  violins.  Louis  XIV.,  Monseigneur, 

[207] 


VERSAILLES 

and  the  princes  took  great  pleasure  in  pastimes  of  this 
kind.  A  narrative  by  Dengeau,  chosen  from  among 
twenty  others,  will  show  at  the  same  time  the  part 
played  by  Trianon  at  this  period  and  the  importance 
of  the  gardens  as  a  whole  in  the  ordinary  life  of  the 
Court. 

The  date  is  July  10,  1669,  and  the  Court  is  living 
at  Trianon:  "At  about  six  o'clock  in  the  evening 
the  King  went  into  his  gardens,  and  after  walking 
about  them  for  some  time  he  paused  on  the  terrace 
overlooking  the  Canal,  where  he  saw  Monseigneur, 
Madame  le  duchesse  de  Bourgogne,  and  all  the 
princesses  embarking.  Monseigneur  was  in  a 
gondola  with  Monseigneur  le  due  de  Bourgogne  and 
Madame  le  princesse  de  Conti.  Madame  le  duchesse 
de  Bourgogne  was  in  another  with  some  ladies  she 
had  chosen;  Madame  le  duchesse  de  Chartres  and 
Madame  le  duchesse  de  Bourbon  were  in  separate 
gondolas.  The  King  ordered  some  seats  to  be  placed 
at  the  end  of  the  balustrade,  where  he  remained  till 
eight  o'clock  listening  to  the  music,  which  was  made 
to  play  as  near  him  as  possible.  When  the  King  had 
returned  to  the  Chateau  the  others  went  up  to  the  end 
of  the  Canal,  and  only  returned  to  the  Chateau  in 
time  for  supper.  The  King  had  at  first  intended  to 
go  on  the  water,  but  as  he  has  been  showing  signs  of 
an  attack  of  rheumatism  M.  Fagon  advised  him 


THE  GARDEN 

against  it,  although  the  weather  was  very  fine.  After 
supper  Monseigneur  and  Madame  le  duchesse  de 
Bourgogne  walked  in  the  gardens  until  two  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  and  on  the  terrace  above  the  house ; 
after  which  Monseigneur  went  to  bed.  Madame  la 
duchesse  de  Bourgogne  then  went  in  a  gondola  with 
some  of  her  ladies,  and  Madame  la  Duchesse  in 
another  gondola,  and  they  remained  on  the  Canal  till 
sunrise.  Then  Madame  le  Duchesse  went  to  bed; 
but  Madame  la  duchesse  de  Bourgogne  waited  until 
Madame  de  Maintenon  started  for  Saint-Cyr.  She 
saw  her  get  into  her  carriage  at  seven  o'clock  and 
then  went  to  bed,  without  appearing  tired  after  her 
long  vigil.  Monseigneur  le  due  de  Bourgogne,  who 
had  returned  to  Versailles,  was  equally  wakeful, 
walking  in  the  gardens  until  daylight  and  then  going 
to  play  mall  till  six  o'clock." 

These  nocturnal  expeditions  of  the  Duchesse  de 
Bourgogne  are  famous.  Her  ladies  were  no  less  de- 
voted than  herself  to  this  class  of  amusement.  It  was 
not  at  all  uncommon  for  them  to  be  prolonged  until 
dawn;  refreshments  were  taken,  and  eaten  on  the 
water;  the  musicians  followed  in  another  boat  at  a 
little  distance,  and  gave  to  the  evenings  of  Versailles 
the  melody  and  magic  of  the  nights  of  Venice. 

Retracing  our  steps  along  the  Royal  Walk  till  we 
are  near  the  centre,  we  may  see  on  the  right,  through 
[209] 


VERSAILLES 

the  thick  trees  that  surround  it,  the  famous  Colon- 
nade, which  looks  like  the  remnant  of  an  antique 
monument,  marvellously  preserved.  It  is  circular 
in  shape,  and  is  formed  of  thirty-two  columns  of  col- 
oured marble,  strengthened  by  pilasters.  Above 
them  are  arcades  supporting  a  light  frieze,  and  the 
whole  is  surmounted  by  thirty-two  vases.  The 
variety  of  marbles  has  a  charming  effect.  Violet 
breccia  is  blended  with  the  blue  and  red  marbles  of 
Languedoc. 

The  admiration  of  contemporaries  was  not  denied 
to  the  Colonnade  of  Versailles,  and  to  the  profusion 
of  rare  marbles  gathered  there.  A  contributor  to 
the  Mercure  Galant  of  November,  1686,  described  it 
when  it  was  barely  completed,  and  added:  "The 
wood  that  encloses  it,  with  the  trellis-work  that  cov- 
ers the  stems  of  the  trees,  makes  a  background  that 
shows  off  the  architecture  to  the  best  advantage,  and 
one  must  admire  this  example  of  pure  splendour  as 
much  for  the  refinement  of  its  workmanship  as  for 
the  richness  of  its  materials.  This  work  plainly 
shows  that  the  King  is  the  most  powerful  prince  in 
the  world,  and  that  marble  is  at  the  present  time  more 
common  in  France  than  in  Italy.  .  .  ." 

In  the  eighteenth  century  this  grove  was  again  un- 
reservedly praised  by  Blondel  the  architect:  "  The 
richness  of  the  materials,  the  beauty  of  the  workman- 

[210] 


ALTAR  IN  THE  CHAPEL 


THE  GARDEN 

ship,  the  architecture,  the  sculpture,  the  hydraulics, 
are  all  combined  with"  so  much  art  and  intelligence 
that  the  appearance  of  this  work  alone  is  sufficient  to 
give  an  idea  of  the  splendour  and  prosperity  of  the 
arts  under  Louis  the  Great." 

The  Colonnade  was  built  by  Deschamps,  the 
worker  in  marble,  from  the  designs  and  under  the 
direction  of  Mansart,  who  here,  as  in  so  many  other 
circumstances  was  the  colleague  of  Le  Notre.  The 
perfect  concord  between  the  two  architects  was  rec- 
ognised by  such  of  their  contemporaries  as  were 
competent  judges,  and  those  who  called  it  in  question 
were  quite  mistaken.  Saint-Simon's  anecdote,  in 
which  this  historian  was  as  inaccurate  as  usual,  is 
often  repeated  in  connection  with  the  journey  of  Le 
Notre  to  Italy :  "  The  King  led  him  into  the  gardens 
of  Versailles,  where  he  showed  him  what  had  been 
done  in  his  absence.  At  the  Colonnade  he  was  silent. 
The  King  pressed  him  to  give  his  opinion:  l  Well, 
sire,  what  do  you  wish  me  to  say?  You  have  made  a 
mason  into  a  gardener  (this  was  Mansart)  and  he  has 
given  you  a  specimen  of  his  work.'  "  If  this  was  ever 
said,  it  was  assuredly  not  in  the  circumstances  nar- 
rated by  Saint-Simon,  for  Le  Notre's  journey  to  Italy 
took  place  in  1679,  and  the  Colonnade  was  only  built 
in  1685. 

There  is  a  great  wealth  of  sculpture  here.     Under 


VERSAILLES 

each  arch  there  is  a  white  marble  vase,  from  which  a 
straight  jet  of  water  rises,  and  falling  again,  over- 
flows to  the  feet  of  the  vases  into  a  large  sheet  of 
water,  from  which  the  whole  building  appears  to 
emerge.  For  roof  this  well-designed  little  temple 
has  all  the  vault  of  the  sky.  From  the  keystone  of 
each  arch  smiles  the  face  of  a  nymph  or  a  na'iad,  or 
a  spirit  of  the  woods.  These  heads  are  by  Coyzevox, 
Eguandin,  and  others. 

Round  the  arcade  there  runs  a  charming  bas- 
relief  representing  children  at  play,  the  work  of 
Coyzevox,  Tubi,  Le  Comte,  and  Le  Hongre.  All 
these  sculptured  babies  are  twining  garlands  of 
flowers,  or  playing  instruments  of  every  descrip- 
tion— lutes,  lyres,  flutes,  violins,  cymbals,  and  tam- 
bourines. These  little  musicians  remind  us  of  the 
use  for  which  the  grove  was  destined,  and  of  all 
the  brilliant  concerts  that  were  given  in  it  to  the 
Court,  by  night  and  by  day. 

The  central  group  which  completes  the  harmoni- 
ous effect  was  not  added  until  some  time  had  elapsed. 
It  is  the  famous  work  by  Girardon,  his  masterpiece, 
Proserpine  carried  off  by  Pluto,  and  the  date  on  the 
marble  is  1699.  He  certainly  did  not  accomplish 
it  alone,  at  the  advanced  age  he  had  then  reached, 
and  Robert  Le  Lorrain,  his  admirable  pupil,  did 
some  work  upon  it.  The  subject  was  inspired  by  the 
[214] 


THE  GARDEN 

myth  of  Persephone,  whom  the  Romans  turned  into 
Proserpine.  Pluto  is  carrying  off  the  daughter  of 
Ceres  to  make  her  Queen  of  the  Infernal  Regions 
as  she  is  gathering  flowers  with  her  companions  in 
the  fields  of  Sicily. 

The  group  is  hewed  from  a  single  block  of  mar- 
ble in  bold  and  harmonious  lines.  First,  there  is 
Pluto,  vigorous  and  ardent,  lifting  in  his  arms  the 
weak  girl  who  is  trying  to  escape  him.  His  royal 
head  and  flowing  hair  are  crowned  with  ebony;  in 
his  haste  he  has  thrown  to  the  ground  at  his  feet  a 
woman  who  was  trying  in  vain  to  arrest  his  course. 
Proserpine's  companion  has  all  the  slender  grace 
of  the  goddess,  and  all  her  expression  of  despair. 
This  suggestive  work,  so  full  of  delicacy  and  force, 
is  one  of  the  finest  examples  of  French  art,  rich  as 
it  is  in  beautiful  statuary.  It  stands  on  a  high  mar- 
ble pedestal,  round  which  Girardon  himself  ca«rved 
a  bas-relief  full  of  detail.  He  develops,  in  a  skil- 
ful landscape  in  perspective,  the  mythological  idea 
of  the  rape.  Proserpine  is  seen  by  the  waterside 
with  her  companions;  Pluto  arrives  and  carries  off 
his  tender  burden ;  he  hastens  towards  the  triumphal 
car  drawn  by  horses  from  the  nether  regions.  The 
chariot  is  driven  by  Love,  and  from  the  air  two  little 
cupids  are  slyly  aiming  their  enchanted  arrows  at 
the  heart  of  the  girl.  The  swift  car  of  the  too-ardent 


VERSAILLES 

god  is  preceded  by  the  furies  of  the  lower  world, 
with  hair  dishevelled,  and  with  torches  in  their 
hands. 

Quite  close  to  the  Colonnade  is  a  long  grove  of 
trees  which  is  entirely  without  ornament,  but  which 
once  had  its  days  of  renown.  It  bore  the  name  of 
the  Gallery  of  Water  or  the  Hall  of  Antiques,  and 
in  the  days  of  Louis  XIV.  it  contained  a  series  of 
twenty-four  fine  figures  in  marble,  some  original, 
some  copied  from  the  antique,  which  alternated  with 
orange-trees  in  pots,  jets  of  water,  and  marble  chan- 
nels filled  with  running  water.  Those  who  walked 
here  enjoyed  a  veritable  gallery  of  antique  sculp- 
ture, chosen  in  accordance  with  the  Italian  taste  of 
the  seventeenth  century;  but  no  Roman  prince  in 
the  days  of  the  Grand  Rol  had  in  his  villa  a  more 
magnificent  hall  than  this,  where  the  value  of  the 
statues  was  enhanced  by  the  water  that  reflected 
them. 

The  Gallery  of  Water  was  done  away  with  in 
1704,  and  in  the  eighteenth  century  became  the  Hall 
of  the  Chestnut  Trees.  It  still  exists  as  it  is  repre- 
sented in  prints  of  the  time,  with  its  eight  busts  of 
white  marble  on  pedestals  of  Ranee  marble,  and 
its  two  antiques,  Meleager  and  Antinous.  A  little 
further  on  is  the  Basin  of  the  Mirror,  or  Vertugadin, 
which  was  thus  called  on  account  of  its  form.  In 

[216] 


THE  GARDEN 

the  garden  lore  of  the  time  Vertugadin  meant  "a 
slope  of  turf  in  the  shape  of  an  amphitheatre,  in 
which  the  circular  lines  that  terminate  it  are  not 
parallel."  This  sheet  of  water  was  made  in  1683, 
at  the  same  time  as  a  larger  one — now  entirely  filled 
up — called  the  Royal  Island  or  the  Island  of  Love, 
on  which  there  were  pleasure  boats.  It  is  now  a 
shady,  mysterious  grove,  where  a  large  lawn,  care- 
fully tended  shrubberies,  and  a  single  column  sur- 
mounted by  a  statue  of  Diana,  remind  one  the 
moment  one  enters  of  an  English  garden  of  the  be- 
ginning of  the  nineteenth  century.  It  dates,  indeed, 
from  1817,  when  Louis  XVIII.  had  the  happy  idea 
of  making  it,  to  drain  this  marshy  spot. 

This  grove  is  now  called  by  the  pretty  name  of 
the  King's  Garden.  In  the  centre  a  vase  copied 
from  the  antique  rises  above  a  number  of  rose-trees. 
Outside  the  trellis-work,  among  the  luxuriant  trees, 
are  two  colossal  statues,  the  Flora  Fames e  and  the 
Hercules  Farnese,  copied  in  Rome  under  Louis 
XIV. 

The  wide  walk  that  leads  back  towards  the  Palace 
is  the  exact  counterpart  of  that  of  the  Bassius  of 
Ceres  and  Flora.  Here  the  two  other  Seasons 
are  equally  represented  by  figures  of  Saturn  and 
Bacchus. 

Saturn,  as  a  fine  old  man,  sad  and  weary,  is  lying 
[219] 


VERSAILLES 

upon  a  rocky  bank  covered  with  flowers  and  sea-shells. 
His  great  wings,  the  wings  of  Time,  are  outspread ; 
his  venerable  brow  is  deeply  furrowed,  and  in  his 
eyes  the  sadness  of  those  who  have  lived  too  long. 
His  long  thin  form  has  all  the  life,  all  the  softened 
realism,  with  which  the  sculptor  Tubi  animated  his 
works.  Round  this  stern  figure  are  winged  Loves 
with  all  their  attractive  chubbiness;  they  are  like 
birds  singing  in  the  snow. 

A  little  further  on  is  the  Island  of  Autumn,  over- 
flowing with  heavy  bunches  of  grapes.  The  God 
of  Wine  is  lying  amid  the  wealth  of  the  grape-har- 
vest His  mysterious  smile  is  as  disquieting  as  that 
of  a  Jociende,  and  indeed,  the  youth  recalls  the  an- 
drogynous Bacchus  of  Vinci.  Marsy  has  crowned 
the  delicate  curly  head  with  vine-leaves;  the  young 
figure  is  both  vigorous  and  of  a  quite  feminine  grace ; 
round  him  little  satyrs  are  playing  among  the  ruddy 
fruit. 

Not  far  from  here,  surrounded  by  thick  shrub- 
beries, is  the  Grove  of  the  Rockeries,  formerly 
known  as  the  Ballroom,  where  we  see  tiers  of 
grassy  seats,  and  cascades  arranged  one  above  the 
other,  and  bubbling  jets  of  water.  Formerly  there 
was  in  the  middle  a  kind  of  arena,  where  dancing  took 
place  whenever  it  pleased  his  Majesty  to  give  a  fete 
here.  This  hexagonal  arena,  which  was  bounded  by 

[220] 


THE  GARDEN 

a  trench  ornamented  with  shell-work,  disappeared 
long  ago.  The  rockeries  are  still  there,  and  from 
them  a  large  number  of  cascades,  one  above  the 
other;  which  were  very  effective  in  torch-light. 
The  orchestra  was  arranged  above  them.  We  may 
also  see  the  five  tiers  of  seats  for  the  spectators,  and 
a  huge  decorative  work  in  lead,  which  was  set  up 
in  1683.  It  is  covered  with  large  ornate  vases  in 
lead,  and  cressets  in  the  form  of  tripods,  delicately 
ornamented.  The  metal  is  very  well  preserved,  and 
there  are  still  touches  of  gilding  on  it.  It  is  a  valua- 
ble work,  which  gives  some  idea  of  the  resources 
of  the  art  of  working  in  lead  during  the  century 
when  Versailles  came  into  being,  at  which  time,  as 
we  have  seen,  gilded  lead  was  so  often  and  so 
successfully  used. 

It  was  near  the  Walk  of  Bacchus  that  the  Laby- 
rinth was  situated — formerly  so  famous  for  the  wind- 
ings of  its  paths  and  for  the  thirty-nine  fountains 
in  trellised  niches,  where  the  animals  of  ^Esop's 
Fables  were  represented  in  lead.  We  saw  in  an- 
other part  of  the  garden,  the  two  figures  of  ^Esop 
and  Love,  which  originally  belonged  to  this  van- 
ished series.  The  Labyrinth,  which  was  destroyed 
in  1775,  at  the  time  of  the  general  replantation  of 
the  park  under  Louis  XVI.,  became  the  Queen's 
Grove.  Some  exotic  trees  were  brought  hither, 

[221] 


VERSAILLES 

such  as  the  Virginian  tulip-trees  surrounding  the 
central  bower,  some  American  walnut-trees  and 
oaks,  and  two  cedars  of  Lebanon  of  the  same  age 
as  those  carried  to  England  by  the  botanist  Bernard 
de  Fussien. 

In  this  charming,  dusky  spot,  during  a  summer's 
night  in  1784,  was  enacted  the  deceptive  scene  ar- 
ranged by  Madame  de  la  Motte,  between  Cardinal 
de  Rohan  and  Mademoiselle  Oliva,  whom  the  prelate 
imagined  to  be  Marie  Antoinette.  The  story  is  well 
known.  The  adventuress,  Madame  de  la  Motte, 
being  weighed  down  with  debts,  conceived  the  idea 
of  posing  as  an  intimate  friend  of  the  Queen,  and  in 
her  name  borrowed  money  on  all  sides.  Being  ex- 
tremely clever,  cunning,  and  intelligent,  she  schemed 
so  well  that  she  persuaded  the  Cardinal  de  Rohan  to 
believe  in  the  possibility  of  a  reconciliation  with  the 
Queen,  who  had  long  been  his  enemy.  The  credu- 
lous Rohan  was  even  convinced,  by  the  lady's  bare 
word,  that  Marie  Antoinette  had  a  tender  sentiment 
for  him,  and  he  even  believed  that  Her  Majesty, 
through  the  Comtesse  de  la  Motte,  had  given  him  a 
rendezvous  on  the  night  of  August  1 1,  in  the  Queen's 
Grove. 

At  the  appointed  hour  the  handsome  Cardinal 
was  among  the  thick  trees  of  the  Grove.  The  night 
was  dark.  A  woman  was  waiting  for  him,  tall  and 

[222] 


PETIT  TRIANON:     THE  FLOWER  GARDEN 


THE  GARDEN 

fair  like  the  Queen,  and  with  her  imposing  air.  She 
was  dressed  in  a  robe  a  lf  enfant  made  of  muslin,  with 
a  white  cape  over  it;  her  hat  was  a  "calash"  of 
Italian  gauze,  which  shaded  her  face.  This  was 
the  costume  generally  worn  by  the  Queen  in  her 
walks.  Rohan  bowed,  and  kissed  the  white  gar- 
ments of  the  woman,  who  gave  him  a  rose,  murmur- 
ing in  a  low  voice  some  words  which  the  Cardinal, 
in  his  emotion,  interpreted  in  accordance  with  his 
wishes. 

This  woman,  who  was  thirty  years  old,  extremely 
beautiful,  and  astonishingly  like  Marie  Antoinette, 
was  an  insignificent  person,  a  creature  of  the  Com- 
tesse  de  la  Motte,  called  Mademoiselle  Oliva,  and 
was  ignorant  of  the  part  she  was  being  made  to  play 
that  evening.  The  Comtesse  now  felt  that  she  might 
impose  upon  the  Cardinal  to  any  extent,  and  without 
further  delay  she  asked,  by  the  Queen's  desire,  she 
said,  for  the  famous  diamond  necklace.  Rohan  pro- 
cured it,  and  the  Queen  naturally  refused  to  pay  the 
jewellers.  The  notorious  trial  that  ensued  brought 
disgrace  upon  Marie  Antoinette,  entirely  innocent 
though  she  was,  and  contributed  to  bring  her  into 
disrepute  with  the  public,  who  were  already  so  much 
inclined  to  think  ill  of  her. 

The  Queen's  Grove  is  bordered  by  the  Mall  Walk, 
where  was  played  the  ancient  game  of  Mall,  so  much 

[225] 


VERSAILLES 

affected  by  the  French  and  their  old  Court.  It  ends 
at  the  gate  of  the  Parterre  of  Orange  Trees.  This 
great  parterre  is  formed  of  six  plots  of  grass,  with  a 
round  basin  in  the  middle,  and  it  is  laid  out  in  front 
of  the  splendid  Orangery  built  by  Mansart.  Along 
the  side  galleries  are  the  three  stories  of  the  enor- 
mous structure  known  as  the  "  Hundred  Steps." 
These  gigantic  stairs,  which  are  not  less  than  thirty 
metres  wide,  seem  to  support  the  base  of  the  Pal- 
ace, and  give  it  on  that  side  an  additional  air  of 
dignity. 

Louis  XIV.  had  a  predilection  for  orange  trees. 
He  not  only  adorned  his  gardens  with  them,  but  also 
the  rooms  of  the  Palace.  Le  Notre  had  made  a  col- 
lection of  them  that  was  then  unequalled,  and 
included  about  six  hundred  specimens.  In  the 
summer  of  1687  the  Fontainebleau  collection  was 
brought  here,  including  the  orange  tree  named  Le 
Bourbon,  which  was  even  then  said  to  be  five  hun- 
dred years  old,  and  which  lived  until  our  own 
days. 

A  certain  number  of  plants  of  that  period  may  still 
be  found  in  the  present  collection,  which  contains 
fourteen  hundred  orange  trees.  With  the  exception 
of  a  hundred  or  so  that  are  scattered  through  the 
gardens  in  the  fine  weather  they  are  all  used  to  orna- 
ment the  Parterre  of  the  Orangery. 

[226] 


THE   GARDEN 

The  Orangery,  that  huge  structure  in  which  they 
are  sheltered  through  the  winter,  comprises  a  central 
gallery  and  two  side  galleries;  the  former  is  a  hun- 
dred and  fifty-six  metres  long  by  twelve  metres  fifty 
centimetres  wide.  This  imposing  mass  of  masonry 
was  built  between  1684  and  1686,  and  cost  about 
475,000  limes.  After  much  deliberation  on  the 
subject  Mansart  furnished  the  plans  for  the  building 
and  Le  Notre  those  for  the  parterre.  They  had  been 
experimenting  in  their  common  task  in  the  Orangery 
of  Chantilly,  for  which  purpose  the  King  had  lent 
their  services  to  the  Great  Conde. 

When  Louis  XIV.  returned  from  Fontainebleau 
in  November,  1685,  the  work  was  already  sufficiently 
advanced  to  rouse  his  admiration  by  its  beauty.1 
Dangeau  thus  describes  his  first  visit  to  it.  He  re- 
lates that  the  equestrian  statue  of  his  Majesty,  exe- 
cuted in  Rome  by  the  Cavalier  Bernini,  had  already 
been  set  up  on  a  pedestal.  Louis  was  impatient  to 
see  it.  "  Leaving  his  carriage  he  mounted  a  horse 
with  the  object  of  seeing  the  new  aqueducts.  After- 
wards he  walked  in  the  Orangery,  whose  magnifi- 
cence he  much  admired.  He  saw  the  equestrian  statue 
by  the  Cavalier  Bernini,  which  has  been  placed 
there,  and  he  thought  that  both  man  and  horse  were 
so  badly  done  that  he  resolved,  not  only  to  move  it 
from  that  spot,  but  even  to  break  it  up." 

[227] 


VERSAILLES 

The  famous  statue,  however,  was  preserved.  It 
became  the  Martins  Curtius,  which  a  very  few 
ardent  sight-seers  seek  at  the  end  of  the  Piece  d'Eau 
des  Suisses,  whither  it  was  relegated.  A  slight  alter- 
ation in  the  marble  made  it  into  the  Roman  hero 
throwing  himself,  in  the  Forum,  into  the  fiery  gulf. 
Its  position  in  the  gardens  is  in  a  line  with  Domenico 
Guidi's  group  The  King's  Renown,  which  stands 
now  near  the  Basin  of  Neptune,  in  that  great  bisect- 
ing line  that  crosses  the  grounds  from  north  to  south, 
and  is  at  right  angles  to  the  line  of  the  Canal,  which 
runs  from  east  to  west.  The  place  of  the  rejected 
statue  by  Bernini  in  the  Parterre  of  the  Orangery 
was  provisionally  filled  by  the  colossal  statue  of 
Louis  XIV.  as  a  Roman  Emperor,  by  Desjardins. 
It  seemed,  indeed,  that  this  privileged  spot  could  not 
dispense  with  a  royal  figure.  But  soon  the  statue 
was  placed  inside  the  building,  where  we  may  see 
it  to-day. 

The  Mercure  Galant,  at  the  time  of  the  visit  of 
the  Siamese  ambassadors,  at  the  end  of  the  year  1686, 
gave  the  first  description  of  the  great  building,  which 
was  barely  completed;  and  in  so  doing  expressed  the 
sentiments  of  the  public  at  that  time  with  regard  to 
the  embellishments  of  Versailles. 

"  This  Orangery  that  is  just  finished,  and  was 
designed  by  M.  Mansart,  is  a  grand  and  bold 
[228] 


THE  LAWN  (TOPIS   VERT) 


THE   GARDEN 

achievement,  and  has  already  made  a  great  sensa- 
tion. .  .  .  The  gallery  at  the  base  of  the  build- 
ing is  lighted  by  thirteen  arched  windows,  sunk  in 
the  recesses  of  the  arcade.  The  inside  is  adorned 
with  no  sculpture  nor  ornamental  architecture,  as 
is  suitable  in  this  class  of  building,  and  the  work- 
manship of  the  vaulted  roof  is  its  chief  beauty. 
.  .  .  It  is  delightfully  cool,  and  one  might  enjoy 
in  it  every  kind  of  diversion  furnished  by  the  theatre 
without  being  inconvenienced  by  heat.  It  would 
even  be  possible  to  perform  operas  here,  and  even  in 
several  parts  of  the  building  at  once  without  the  per- 
formers incommoding  each  other.  It  was  this  that 
made  the  chief  ambassador  (of  Siam)  say  that  the 
magnificence  of  the  King  was  indeed  great,  seeing 
that  he  had  raised  so  superb  a  building  to  serve 
as  a  house  for  his  orange  trees.  He  added  that 
there  were  many  kings  who  had  not  such  beautiful 
houses  themselves."  It  is  a  fact  that  the  Orangery 
was  often  used  for  dramatic  performances  and  musi- 
cal recitals,  and  even  at  the  present  day  it  is  not  sel- 
dom employed  for  the  same  purposes,  to  which  it 
lends  itself  very  conveniently. 

It  was  not  long  before  the  approaches  and  the  Par- 
terre of  the  Orangery  were  ornamented  with  decora- 
tive sculpture.  It  was  Lespingola  who  placed  the 
fourteen  baskets  of  fruit  and  flowers  upon  the  pillars 


VERSAILLES 

that  support  the  gate.  Le  Gros  and  Le  Comte  were 
entrusted  with  the  colossal  groups  in  stone  resting 
on  the  four  strong  pillars  of  the  double  entrance  to 
the  gardens.  The  former  produced  Aurora  and 
Gephalus,  and  Vertumnus  and  Pomona,  the  groups 
nearest  to  the  town;  the  latter  Zephyr  and  Flora  and 
Venus  and  Adonis.  Even  inside  the  parterre  there 
was  a  complete  series  of  decorations  in  marble  and 
bronze.  Of  these  only  four  marble  vases  are  left; 
two  encircled  with  vine-leaves,  by  Le  Gros  and 
Buirette,  and  two  ornamented  with  a  garland  of 
flowers,  designed  by  Mansart  and  executed  by  Le 
Gros  and  Robert. 

Nothing  is  left  for  us  to  see  inside  the  Orangery 
but  the  gigantic  statue  of  Louis  XIV.,  "  attired  in 
a  Roman  coat  of  armour  and  a  regal  mantle,  and 
holding  in  his  hand  the  baton  of  a  general."  Dur- 
ing the  Revolution  the  King  was  changed  into  the 
god  Mars,  and  his  head  was  renewed  in  1816  by  the 
chisel  of  Lorta.  In  spite  of  this  mutilation  the  work 
of  Desjardins  adds  to  the  interest  of  this  place,  to 
which  one  comes  mainly  in  search  of  the  potent 
beauty  of  architecture,  as  illustrated  by  this  majestic 
vaulted  roof. 

We  may  regard  the  Orangery,  its  terrace,  and 
its  parterres,  as  the  sumptuous  finishing-touch  of  the 
Versailles  created  by  Mansart  and  Le  Notre.  This 
[232] 


THE  GARDEN 

was  the  splendid  climax  of  a  work  accomplished 
after  many  years. 

We  must  not  allow  the  perfect  harmony  of  the 
Gardens  of  Versailles  with  the  taste  of  the  day  to 
make  us  imagine  that  they  were  an  innovation  of 
the  seventeenth  century.  We  may  see  their  geomet- 
rical design  even  in  the  miniatures  and  tapestries 
of  the  Middle  Ages  and  the  French  Renaissance. 
The  first  principles  of  the  aesthetics  of  the  gardens 
were  laid  down  by  our  forefathers,  several  centuries 
before  our  day,  though  their  fundamental  laws  were 
only  fully  developed  in  the  reign  of  Louis  XIV.  Le 
Notre,  born  of  a  family  of  gardeners  and  brought 
up  among  the  royal  gardeners,  was  possessed  of  good 
traditions,  which  his  exceptional  career  and  his  per- 
sonal genius  used  to  the  best  advantage ;  but  his  mag- 
nificent work — so  clear,  so. logical,  so  intelligent — 
is  derived,  not  merely  from  the  mind  of  the  single 
artist,  but  from  that  of  a  whole  race. 

To  review  this  superb  work  in  its  perfection  one 
should  see  it  from  the  terrace  overlooking  the  Oran- 
gery; from  whence  one  may  obtain  some  idea  of  the 
thought  underlying  the  great  achievement.  To  the 
north  the  great  trees  planted  along  the  parterre  form 
a  solid  barrier  against  the  cold  north  winds,  while 
to  the  south  the  flowers  are  left  in  the  full  blaze  of 
the  smiling  sunshine.  The  universal  symmetry  of 

[233] 


VERSAILLES 

Versailles  is  here  broken  in  a  way  that  is  both  bold 
and  admirable;  and  this  terrace  itself  rises  like  a 
precipitous  cliff  fronting  the  wide  horizon. 

From  this  terrace  of  the  Orangery  one  may  see, 
beyond  the  gates  of  the  gardens,  the  sheet  of  water 
known  as  the  Piece  des  Suisses.  The  effect  of  its 
perspective  from  here  is  most  happy.  It  shines  like 
a  mirror  at  the  foot  of  the  wooded  hills  of  Satory, 
which  recall  the  old  days  when  the  country  about 
Versailles  was  entirely  composed  of  forests.  Here, 
more  than  anywhere  else,  one  may  evoke  the  past. 

This  was  always  a  favourite  resort  in  the  coolness 
of  evening,  and  especially  so  in  the  days  of  Louis 
XVI.,  when  it  was  a  common  thing  to  stay  up  dur- 
ing a  great  part  of  the  night,  listening  to  the  music 
of  the  Swiss  Guards  and  of  the  French  Guards. 
Marie  Antoinette,  in  her  white  dress,  would  walk 
about  arm-in-arm  with  the  Comtesse  de  Provence  or 
the  Comtesse  d'Artois,  her  sister-in-law,  or  prefera- 
bly with  her  friends,  Mesdames  de  Lamballe  and  de 
Polignac.  The  park  was  open  to  the  public;  and 
sometimes  the  imprudent  Queen,  accompanied  by 
only  one  of  her  ladies,  would  wander  among  the 
crowd.  This  gave  rise  to  scandals,  libels,  and  pam- 
phlets; for  the  unhappy  princess  was  the  object  of 
the  hatred  which  until  then  had  been  reserved  for 
the  favourites.  The  calumnies  connected  with  the 

[234] 


LOUIS  XV. 'S  INNER  SITTING-ROOM 


THE   GARDEN 

affair  of  the  necklace  were  partly  the  result  of  these 
nocturnal  fetes.  But  her  majesty  despised  calumny. 
Proud  of  her  beauty,  her  power,  her  innocence,  she 
was  eager  in  her  search  for  pleasure,  and  joy,  and 
success.  Smilingly,  disdainfully,  she  went  on  her 
way,  and  all  unconsciously  built  her  scaffold  with 
her  own  hands.  Meanwhile,  the  royal  park,  and  the 
bright  and  scented  gardens,  were  under  the  spell  of 
the  Queen's  sweet  voice,  as  her  fresh  laugh  ran 
through  the  shady  groves,  and  the  long  silken  trains 
of  her  ladies  rustled  softly  on  the  turf.  There  was 
no  fear  mingled  with  the  enjoyment  of  pleasure 
then,  for  the  French  Monarchy  was  believed  to  be 
immortal. 

Those  days  were  long  ago.  And  now,  in  the 
silent,  melancholy  past,  every  step  reminds  us  poign- 
antly of  the  past;  by  these  motionless  statues  fair 
queens  have  walked;  it  was  for  them  that  the  quiver- 
ing water  sang  in  the  fountains;  the  golden  leaves 
that  fall  from  the  autumn  trees  are  strewed  with 
memories. 


[237] 


THE    COURT   AND    THE    FETES    OF   VERSAILLES 

nOUIS  XIV.  created  and  beautified  Ver- 
sailles in  order  to  make  it  a  place  where 
he  might  give  fetes,  long  before  he  dreamt 
of  transferring  to  it  the  seat  of  the  Mon- 
archy. The  young  sovereign  wished  to  have  a  cha- 
teau built  in  accordance  with  his  own  fancy,  where 
he  might  give  finer  fetes  than  those  he  had  seen 
at  the  house  of  his  superintendent  Fouquet,  the  mem- 
ory of  which,  in  his  jealous  pride,  he  was  anxious 
to  efface.  He  chose  the  modest  hunting-box  of  his 
father,  Louis  XIII.,  which  was  built  by  die  archi- 
tect Salomon  de  Bronc;  he  altered  it  completely, 
made  Le  Notre  design  some  gardens  for  it;  and  when 
the  work  was  finished — that  first  work  that  he  so 
often  remodelled  afterwards — he  displayed  all  his 
magnificence  in  fetes  which  have  been  famous  ever 
since  in  the  annals  of  the  Court  of  France. 

These  royal  diversions,  indeed,  form  the  first  events 
in  the  history  of  this  house.     Even  while  the  work 

[238] 


THE   COURT   AND   FETES 

was  being  carried  on  at  Versailles  Louis  XIV.  loved 
to  conduct  thither,  from  the  Louvre  or  from  the 
chateau  of  Saint-Germain,  the  brilliant  Court  that 
surrounded  him  in  his  youth.  Sumptuous  banquets 
often  took  place  there  after  the  hunt,  or  plays  were 
acted,  or  balls  were  given  in  the  Palace  or  the 
gardens.  The  Gazette  de  France  is  full  of  descrip- 
tions of  such  things.  Versailles  was  inaugurated, 
so  to  speak,  in  a  grand  fete  that  lasted  from  the  yth 
to  the  9th  of  May,  1664.  The  King  was  then  twenty- 
five  years  old,  and  his  passion  for  Mademoiselle  de 
La  Valliere  was  at  its  height.  It  was  widely  known, 
in  spite  of  the  presence  of  the  Queens,  Anne  of  Aus- 
tria and  Marie  Therese,  that  the  fete  was  really  got 
up  for  the  young  mistress;  and  the  success  that  was 
deliberately  assured  to  her  brother  the  Marquis  de 
La  Valliere,  who  was  the  victor  in  tilting  at  the  ring, 
might  well  have  made  it  plain  to  every  one.  The 
choice  of  Versailles  is  to  be  explained  by  the  beauty 
of  the  little  chateau,  the  style  of  which  was  already 
very  tasteful.  "  Although,"  says  a  writer  of  the  day, 
"  it  has  not  the  great  size  that  is  to  be  remarked  in 
some  of  His  Majesty's  other  Palaces,  it  is  charming 
in  every  respect,  everything  smiles  within  and  with- 
out, gold  and  marble  vie  with  one  another  in  their 
beauty  and  brilliancy.  ...  Its  symmetry,  the 
richness  of  its  furniture,  the  beauty  of  its  walks  and 

[239] 


VERSAILLES 

the  infinite  number  of  its  flowers  and  orange-trees, 
render  the  surroundings  of  this  spot  worthy  of  its 
own  remarkable  beauty."  The  Court  stayed  there 
before  and  after  the  fete  for  about  ten  days,  and  the 
King  entertained  there  more  than  six  hundred  per- 
sons, in  addition  to  the  dancers,  the  actors,  and  the 
workmen  of  all  kinds  who  had  come  from  Paris,  "  so 
that  they  had  the  appearance  of  a  small  army."  The 
details  were  arranged  by  Vigarani,  "  a  gentleman 
of  Modena,"  who  was  very  clever  in  matters  of 
decoration  and  mechanism,  and  was  afterwards  ap- 
pointed, with  the  modest  title  of  the  King's  engineer, 
to  be  the  manager  of  the  Versailles  fetes. 

The  Due  de  Saint-Aignan,  whose  office  was  that 
of  first  gentleman  of  the  chamber,  was  charged  by 
the  King  to  unite  the  various  entertainments  by  a 
common  idea:  joined  with  him  were  M.  de  Ben- 
serede  and  President  de  Perigny,  who  together  ar- 
ranged the  ballet  and  the  topical  verses,  and  it  was  de- 
cided that  one  of  the  best  known  episodes  in  Orlando 
Furioso  should  be  reproduced.  The  King  played 
the  principal  part,  that  of  Roger,  who  was  detained 
with  the  brave  knights  his  companions  in  the  island 
of  the  enchantress  Alcina,  until  the  moment  when 
Angelica's  ring,  placed  on  Roger's  finger,  released 
him  from  the  witchcraft  that  held  him  a  captive  to 
pleasure.  This  was  the  subject  of  the  three  days' 
[240] 


THE   COURT   AND   FETES 

entertainments,  in  which  the  principal  scenes  were 
drawn  and  engraved  by  Israel  Sylvestre,  and  of 
which  an  official  account  was  printed  by  His  Maj- 
esty's orders,  with  the  title:  Pleasures  of  the  En- 
chanted Island.  The  Royal  Walk,  narrower  then 
than  the  existing  tapis  vert,  was  reserved  for  the  vari- 
ous incidents  in  the  fete.  We  may  recognise  to-day 
the  three  points  where  they  occurred,  thanks  to  the 
narrative  of  an  eye-witness,  who  speaks  thus  of  the 
first  spot  prepared  for  the  tilting  at  the  ring:  "  The 
great  path  that  is  at  the  end  of  the  parterre  leads  to 
a  very  spacious  circle,  which  is  traversed  by  another 
path  of  the  same  width.  This  spot,  which  is  five  or 
six  hundred  paces  from  the  Palace,  was  chosen  as 
the  most  suitable  for  the  display  of  the  first  enter- 
tainments in  Alcina's  enchanted  palace."  This  was 
nearly  in  the  middle  of  the  Royal  Walk,  which  here 
widened  into  a  circular  space.  The  representation 
of  La  Princesse  d'Elide,  or  the  Princess  of  Elis,  on 
the  second  day,  took  place  quite  at  the  end  of  the 
walk.  "A  large  theatre  had  been  put  up  at  about 
a  hundred  yards  below  the  circular  space  where  the 
Knights  had  tilted  at  the  ring."  Finally,  for  the 
third  day,  the  palace  of  Alcina,  which  was  consumed 
by  fireworks,  was  built  on  the  grand  rondeau,  that  is 
to  say,  the  fine  sheet  of  water  at  the  bottom  of  the 
park,  afterwards  the  Basin  of  Apollo,  which  already 


VERSAILLES 

had  its  present  proportions,  but  was  adorned  by  no 
group  of  figures  nor  jet  of  water. 

On  May  7,  at  about  six  o'clock  in  the  evening, 
the  Court  adjourned  to  the  spot  arranged  for  the  first 
fete.  In  the  four  avenues  meeting  at  the  circle  large 
porticos  had  been  raised,  adorned  inside  and  out  with 
the  arms  and  ciphers  of  His  Majesty.  The  high  da'is 
had  been  placed  at  the  entrance  to  the  circle,  and  be- 
hind it,  up  the  walk,  benches  were  arranged  in  the 
form  of  an  amphitheatre,  to  seat  two  hundred  people. 
In  the  trees  round  the  circle  were  hung  chandeliers, 
furnished  with  a  countless  number  of  candles,  to 
give  light  to  the  entertainment  after  dark.  In  the 
enclosure  the  knights  of  Ariosto  first  of  all  passed  in 
procession  before  the  ladies,  surrounded  by  a  splen- 
did retinue  of  pages,  trumpeters,  and  drummers; 
after  them  came  a  gigantic  Car  of  Apollo,  drawn  by 
four  horses  and  driven  by  the  King's  coachman, 
carrying  the  attributes  of  Time,  and  surrounded  by 
the  twelve  hours  of  the  day  and  the  twelve  signs  of 
the  Zodiac,  on  foot.  Verses  were  recited  by  the 
actors  and  actresses  of  Moliere's  troupe,  who  repre- 
sented the  Ages  of  gold,  silver,  brass,  and  of  the  god 
Apollo.  Then  began  the  game  of  skill,  tilting  at 
the  ring.  This  was  a  pretext  for  showing  off  fine 
clothes  and  fine  young  men.  "  The  King,  represent- 
ing Roger,  mounted  one  of  the  finest  horses  in  the 

[242] 


MADAME  ADELAIDE'S   DRAWING-ROOM 


THE    COURT   AND   FETES 

world,  whose  flame-coloured  harness  shone  with 
gold,  silver,  and  precious  stones.  The  King,  like  all 
the  members  of  his  troupe,  was  armed  in  the  Greek 
fashion,  and  wore  a  cuirass  plated  with  silver  and 
covered  with  rich  embroidery  in  gold  and  diamonds. 
His  bearing  and  all  his  gestures  were  worthy  of 
his  rank:  his  helmet,  covered  with  flame-coloured 
plumes,  was  worn  with  incomparable  grace;  and 
never  did  a  bolder  or  a  more  soldierly  air  make  a 
mortal  superior  to  other  men."  Having  won  ad- 
miration by  several  displays  of  his  prowess,  the  King 
left  the  victory  to  be  decided  among  the  other 
knights;  and  the  Due  de  La  Valliere  carried  off  the 
prize,  which  was  a  sword  of  gold  enriched  with 
diamonds  and  valuable  belt-buckles,  given  by  the 
Queen-Mother,  who  honoured  the  victor  by  present- 
ing it  with  her  own  hands. 

Night  fell :  "  the  camp  was  lit  up,  and,  all  the 
knights  having  retired,  the  Orpheus  of  our  day  ap- 
peared— you  will  easily  understand  that  I  refer  to 
Lulli — at  the  head  of  a  large  troupe  of  musicians, 
who,  having  approached  slowly  in  time  to  their  in- 
struments, separated  into  two  bands,  to  right  and  left 
of  the  high  dais,  close  to  the  hedges  of  the  circle." 
Violins  played  during  the  entrance  of  the  four  sea- 
sons, Spring  being  mounted  upon  a  Spanish  horse, 
while  the  others  rode  respectively  an  elephant,  a 

[245] 


VERSAILLES 

camel  and  a  bear.  Forty-eight  people,  dressed  suita- 
bly to  the  season  they  accompanied,  bore  upon  their 
head  basins  full  of  viands  and  fruit  for  the  ban- 
quet. Pan  and  Diana,  supported  on  a  little  rock 
planted  with  trees,  also  appeared,  with  attendants, 
who  offered  meats  derived  from  Pan's  menagerie 
and  from  the  hunting  of  Diana.  Pan  was  repre- 
sented by  Moliere.  New  verses  were  recited  to  the 
Queens,  and  then  the  King,  Monsieur,  the  Queens 
and  the  ladies  sat  down  at  a  great  table  covered  with 
flowers  and  shaped  like  a  crescent,  which  was  a  fine 
sight. 

"  In  the  night,  close  to  the  high  green  hedges, 
a  countless  number  of  chandeliers  painted  green  and 
silver,  each  of  them  furnished  with  twenty-four 
candles  and  two  hundred  tapers  of  white  wax,  and 
held  by  an  equal  number  of  people  in  masks,  shed 
a  light  that  was  nearly  as  bright  and  was  more  agree- 
able than  that  of  day.  All  the  riders,  with  their 
helmets  covered  with  plumes  of  various  colours  and 
wearing  the  garments  they  had  worn  during  the  con- 
test, leant  upon  the  barrier;  and  this  large  number 
of  richly  dressed  officers,  who  waited  upon  the 
guests,  increased  the  beauty  of  the  spectacle  and 
made  the  circle  an  enchanted  scene.  After  the  ban- 
quet their  Majesties  and  all  the  Court  went  out  by 
the  portico  opposite  the  barrier,  and  in  a  great  num- 

[246] 


THE   COURT  AND   FETES 

her  of  much-adorned  carriages  they  returned  to  the 
Palace." 

On  the  following  day,  when  night  fell,  they  ad- 
journed to  the  theatre,  which  had  also  been  built 
in  a  circle  of  greenery.  The  plan  of  this  second  fete 
was  that  Roger  and  his  knights,  "  after  having  done 
wonders  in  the  contests  that  they  had  carried  on,  by 
order  of  the  beautiful  enchantress,  for  the  Queen's 
pleasure,  should  continue  the  same  scheme  in  the  next 
entertainment;  and  that,  since  the  floating  island  had 
not  left  the  coast  of  France,  they  should  give  her 
Majesty  the  pleasure  of  seeing  a  play  of  which  the 
scene  was  laid  in  Elis."  This  fiction  gave  an  oppor- 
tunity for  Moliere's  troupe  to  act  a  play,  imitated 
from  the  Spanish,  in  five  acts,  of  which  only  the  first 
was  in  verse,  and  which  included  six  interludes. 
The  part  of  the  Princess  of  Elis  was  taken  by  Mo- 
liere's wife:  her  husband  played  a  burlesque  part 
of  some  importance,  that  of  the  princess's  jester; 
and  the  first  interlude,  in  which  this  cowardly  fellow 
had  to  defend  himself  against  a  bear,  produced  a 
great  deal  of  laughter  among  the  company.  The  in- 
terlude that  ended  the  piece  was  an  admirable  ballet 
of  fauns,  shepherds,  and  "  heroic  shepherdesses," 
"and  the  whole  of  this  scene,  we  are  told,  was  so 
grand,  so  full  of  incident,  and  so  agreeable,  that 
nothing  finer  in  the  way  of  ballet  has  ever  been  seen." 

[247] 


VERSAILLES 

The  evening  of  May  9  was  reserved  for  the  most 
remarkable  performances  of  Vigarani's  machines. 
In  the  middle  of  the  lake  rose  the  castle  of  the  en- 
chantress on  a  rocky  island,  before  which  were  ex- 
tended two  lines  of  illuminated  rocks,  where  some 
tapestry  fixed  on  spars  formed  the  two  sides  of  a 
sort  of  stage  upon  the  water.  Here  the  musicians 
took  their  places,  when  the  Court  was  seated  near 
the  bank.  "  But  the  most  surprising  thing  was  to  see 
Alcina  coming  from  behind  the  rock,  carried  by  a 
marine  monster  of  prodigious  size.  Two  of  the 
nymphs  of  her  suite  started  at  the  same  time,  and 
they  approached  the  banks  of  the  lake,  and  Alcina 
began  some  verses,  to  which  her  companions  re- 
sponded, and  which  were  composed  in  praise  of  the 
Queen,  the  King's  mother.  Two  excellent  actresses, 
Mademoiselle  de  Brie  and  Moliere's  wife,  repre- 
sented the  nymphs  of  Alcina,  who  was  Mademoiselle 
du  Pare.  When  they  had  finished  their  recital  the 
monsters  took  them  back  "  towards  the  enchanted 
island  where  stood  the  castle,  which,  opening  as  they 
arrived,  agreeably  surprised  the  spectators  by  archi- 
tectural beauties  of  so  marvellous  a  nature  that  they 
would  have  been  thought  to  be  the  creation  of 
Vigarani,  if  they  had  not  been  declared  beforehand 
to  be  due  to  Alcina's  enchantments.  Then  the  musi- 
cians redoubled  their  harmonious  efforts,  and  there 

[248] 


THE  DAUPHIN'S  SITTING-ROOM 


THE   COURT  AND    FETES 

became  visible  within  the  Palace  some  giants  of  pro- 
digious size,  who  performed  the  first  figure  of  the 
ballet."  There  were  six  figures,  during  the  last  of 
which  Roger  appeared  and  received  the  ring  that 
set  him  free.  At  the  same  instant  a  clap  of  thunder 
followed  by  lightning  marked  the  end  of  the  en- 
chantress's spell ;  and  the  palace  of  Alcina  sank  into 
ruins  amid  a  splendid  exhibition  of  fireworks,  the 
effect  of  which  was  doubled  by  the  water  which  re- 
flected the  rockets,  and  by  the  echoes  which  repeated 
the  noise  of  the  mortars. 

The  pleasures  of  the  enchanted  island  were  over. 
The  King  prolonged  them  for  a  few  days  more  by 
entertainments.  On  May  10  he  wished  to  "  hunt 
heads "  in  the  German  fashion.  The  knights  who 
took  part  in  this  game  endeavoured  to  carry  off  suc- 
cessively, at  full  gallop,  with  the  lance,  the  javelin, 
and  the  sword,  the  head  of  a  Turk,  of  a  Moor,  and 
of  Medusa.  The  game  took  place  in  the  dry  moats 
of  the  little  chateau.  "  The  whole  Court  had  taken 
up  its  position  on  a  balustrade  of  gilded  iron,  which 
ran  round  the  pleasant  house  of  Versailles  and  over- 
looked the  moat  in  which  the  lists  had  been  set  up 
and  barricaded."  The  King  carried  off  the  prizes 
in  two  contests,  but  he  at  once  gave  back  one,  which 
was  offered  by  the  Queen  to  the  knights  who  had 
been  in  his  troupe :  it  was  a  diamond,  and  the  Mar- 


VERSAILLES 

quis  de  Noislin,  who  won  it,  received  it  from  the 
hands  of  the  Queen.  On  the  following  day  there 
was  an  expedition  to  the  Menagerie,  where  the  King 
demanded  admiration  for  the  new  buildings  he  had 
just  built  there  and  for  a  large  number  of  rare  birds. 
In  the  evening  the  King  ordered  a  performance,  on 
a  stage  in  this  salon,  of  Les  Facheux,  by  Moliere, 
interspersed  with  ballets.  On  the  following  day 
after  dinner  the  King  made  the  ladies  draw  lots 
for  "  jewelry,  ornaments,  silver,  and  other  similar 
things;  and  although  it  is  customary  for  presents  of 
the  kind  to  be  distributed  by  fate,  it  was  no  doubt 
in  accordance  with  His  Majesty's  desire  when  the 
most  fortunate  number  fell  into  the  hands  of  the 
Queen."  The  spectators  then  saw  a  challenge  ex- 
changed between  two  of  the  nobles  who  had  figured 
in  the  proceedings  of  the  first  day,  the  Marquis  de 
Soyecourt  and  the  Due  de  Saint-Aignan.  They 
tilted  for  heads  in  their  costumes,  and  many  wagers 
were  laid  among  their  partisans.  M.  de  Saint- 
Aignan  won  the  contest.  "  In  the  evening  His  Maj- 
esty ordered  the  performance  of  a  comedy  called 
Tartuffe,  which  the  Sieur  de  Moliere  had  written 
against  hypocrites.  .  .  ."  It  included  only  the 
three  first  acts  of  a  play  that  was  still  unknown,  but 
was  destined  to  make  some  noise  in  the  world.  On 
May  12  the  King  wished  to  tilt  for  heads  again,  and 

[252] 


THE   COURT   AND   FETES 

in  the  evening  the  comedy  of  Le  Manage  Force 
was  played.  On  May  14  the  Court  started  for 
Fontainebleau. 

This  series  of  entertainments  had  never  yet  been 
equalled  in  the  annals  of  the  Court  of  France;  but 
the  little  chateau  of  Versailles  did  not  at  all  lend 
itself  to  the  accommodation  of  large  crowds  of  cour- 
tiers; and  the  King,  while  making  some  happy,  had 
made  others  discontented.  We  know  this  by  Ma- 
dame de  Sevigne's  first  testimony — indirectly  given 
it  is  true — with  regard  to  Versailles.  Oliver  d'Or- 
messon  says  in  his  memoirs :  "  Madame  de  Sevigne 
described  to  us  the  entertainments  at  Versailles, 
which  lasted  from  the  Wednesday  to  the  Sunday, 
and  included  tilting  at  the  ring,  Ballets,  plays,  fire- 
works, and  other  very  fine  conceits;  and  told  us  that 
all  the  courtiers  were  in  a  fury  because  the  King 
did  not  take  care  of  any  of  them,  and  MM.  de  Guise 
and  d'Elbeuf  had  scarely  a  hole  to  take  shelter  in." 
The  village  of  Versailles,  with  its  inns  only  fit  for 
carriers,  offered  few  resources,  truly,  for  the  cour- 
tiers who  followed  the  King.  Who  would  have 
thought  that,  twenty  years  later,  a  large  town  would 
have  appeared  there? 

Some  portions  of  this  fete  of  1664  were  repeated 
in  the  following  years,  which  were  the  most  brilliant 
in  the  life  of  the  young  Court.  In  1665,  m  which 

[253] 


VERSAILLES 

year  the  King  stayed  several  times  at  Versailles,  and 
organised  hunts,  plays,  balls,  and  feasts,  a  play  was 
given  on  June  13,  followed  by  a  ball  in  a  large  salon 
built  of  foliage  in  the  Royal  Walk  by  Vigarani,  and 
lighted  by  a  hundred  crystal  chandeliers.  In  the 
month  of  July  the  Queen  of  England,  who  had  come 
to  France  for  the  confinement  of  Madame,  her 
daughter,  paid  a  visit  to  Versailles,  remaining  there 
for  five  days  with  her  household,  and  being  mag- 
nificently entertained  by  the  King.  In  September 
the  Court  kept  the  Feast  of  St.  Hubert  there,  which 
lasted  for  four  days;  there  was  a  great  hunting 
expedition,  in  which  the  Queen,  Madame,  Made- 
moiselle, Mademoiselle  d'Alengon,  and  the  other 
ladies  appeared  dressed  as  Amazons,  and  a  play  with 
a  ballet  was  acted,  which  was  the  first  performance 
of  Moliere's  L' Amour  medecin. 

In  1667  the  entertainments  at  the  end  of  the  Car- 
nival took  place  there,  and  on  this  occasion  there  was 
a  repetition  of  the  tilting  at  heads,  and  the  proces- 
sion of  brilliant  knights  in  those  rich  and  fan- 
tastic costumes  that  Louis  XIV.  loved  to  wear.  On 
the  day  of  these  revels  some  of  the  beauties  of  the 
Court  were  on  horseback,  "  all  admirably  equipped, 
and  led  by  Madame,  who  wore  a  most  superb  waist- 
coat, and  was  mounted  on  a  white  horse  caparisoned 
in  brocade,  which,  like  her  own  habit,  was  sewn 


THE   COURT   AND   FETES 

with  pearls  and  precious  stones.  The  King  followed 
after,  and  was  easily  recognisable,  no  less  by  the  dig- 
nified mien  that  is  peculiar  to  him,  than  by  his  rich 
Hungarian  costume,  covered  with  gold  and  precious 
stones,  with  a  helmet  to  match  waving  with  plumes ; 
and  also  by  the  pride  of  his  horse,  which  seemed 
more  arrogant  at  carrying  so  great  a  monarch  than 
it  was  of  the  magnificence  of  its  trappings  and  the 
cloth  that  covered  it,  which  were  equally  covered 
with  precious  stones."  Monsieur  as  a  Turk,  and 
the  Due  d'Enghien  as  an  Indian,  rode  near  the  King, 
and  the  nobles  followed  in  six  companies.  They 
rode  round  the  camp,  which  had  been  arranged  in 
front  of  the  little  brick  orangery,  and  after  saluting 
the  Queen  and  the  Princesses,  who  were  all  hand- 
somely dressed  in  costume,  the  King  began  the  tilt- 
ing and  was  followed  by  all  the  Knights.  The  game 
was  watched  by  a  great  number  of  foreigners  whom 
the  King  had  invited,  and  who  were  seated  on  the 
terraces. 

It  was  only  natural,  after  days  spent  in  this  way, 
that  Versailles  should  appear  in  the  public  imagina- 
tion as  the  place  consecrated  above  all  others  to  Louis 
XIV.'s  fetes.  The  reputation  that  this  place  had 
then  is  well  indicated  by  a  contemporary  writer. 
"  It  is  indeed  a  good  and  pleasant  thing  to  see  the 
King  in  this  beautiful  wilderness,  giving  little  fetes 

[257] 


VERSAILLES 

prompted  by  gallantry,  or  those  others  that  astonish 
the  spectators  by  their  magnificence,  by  their  novelty, 
by  their  pomp,  by  the  multitude  of  brilliant  enter- 
tainments, by  the  variety  of  music,  by  the  water  and 
the  fireworks,  by  the  abundance  of  everything,  and 
above  all  by  the  open-air  palaces,  which  are  really 
like  enchanted  spots  in  which  the  union  of  nature  and 
art  is  completely  unstudied.  .  .  .  But  any  one 
who  saw  the  King  during  the  campaign  in  Flanders 
will  admire  him  a  thousand  times  more  among  his 
pleasures  than  those  who  never  saw  him  in  time  of 
war  .  .  .  surprising  the  first  captains  in  the 
world  by  his  capacity,  charming  every  one,  includ- 
ing the  soldiers  in  the  ranks,  by  his  heroic  familiar- 
ity, going  to  the  trenches  with  intrepid  firmness, 
resisting  fatigue,  sleeplessness,  and  all  the  most  pain- 
ful circumstances  of  war,  and  doing  all  this  with  the 
same  ease  and  the  same  gaiety  with  which  he  ar- 
ranges the  fetes  of  Versailles!  "  It  is  Mademoiselle 
de  Scudery  who  writes  in  this  way,  thereby  faith- 
fully echoing  the  opinion  of  the  general  public,  who 
flattered  the  young  King  to  excess. 

In  1668  Versailles  was  the  scene  of  Louis  XIV.'s 
grandest  fete,  the  most  sumptuous  he  ever  gave.  It 
lasted  for  one  day  only,  or  rather  for  one  night,  that 
of  July  1 8,  and  it  cost  more  than  a  hundred  thou- 
sand French  livres.  Ten  years  later  the  public  at 

[258] 


THE   COURT  AND    FETES 

large  were  enabled  to  see  the  principal  episode  in 
the  fete  by  means  of  five  large  prints  engraved  by  Le 
Pautre.  This  shows  us  that  it  was  remembered  for 
a  long  time,  and  indeed  it  marked  the  most  brilliant 
moment  of  Louis  XIV.'s  youth.  It  took  place  two 
months  and  a  half  after  the  Peace  of  Aix-la- 
Chapelle.  The  King  wished  to  compensate  the 
Court  for  the  loss  of  the  pleasures  of  the  Carnival, 
which  the  war  had  prevented.  He  desired  at  the 
same  time  to  appear  before  Madame  de  Montespan 
in  all  the  splendour  with  which  the  victories  of 
Conde  and  Luxembourg  had  invested  him.  Louise 
de  La  Valliere,  who  was  to  repent  soon  after  this 
and  become  a  nun,  was  still  at  Court,  but  already  it 
was  to  please  another  than  her  that  the  fetes  of 
Versailles  were  given. 

The  King  himself  chose  the  parts  of  the  garden 
that  were  to  be  used,  and  decided  upon  the  enter- 
tainments, in  which  the  water  that  had  lately  been 
brought  to  Versailles  at  great  cost  was  to  be  the  chief 
interest.  These  beautiful  waters  had  contributed 
more  than  any  other  device  to  the  remodelling  of 
the  decorations  of  Versailles ;  and  this  was  an  excel- 
lent occasion  to  show  them  sparkling  everywhere  in 
these  lovely  gardens  where,  ten  years  earlier,  noth- 
ing was  to  be  seen  but  marshes.  The  parts  of  the 
various  organisers  were  apportioned  to  them.  The 

[259] 


VERSAILLES 

Due  de  Crequi,  first  gentleman  of  the  Chamber,  was 
charged  with  all  that  concerned  the  stage;  the  Mar- 
shal de  Bellefond,  first  maltre  d'hotel  to  the  King, 
was  to  manage  the  banquet  and  the  supper;  and  Col- 
bert, as  superintendent  of  the  King's  buildings,  was 
entrusted  with  the  various  erections  and  the  fire- 
works. He  distributed  the  work  between  the  archi- 
tects of  the  theatre,  the  supper-room,  and  the  ball- 
room. 

On  the  appointed  day  the  King  came  from  Saint 
Germain  to  dine  at  Versailles  with  the  Queen,  the 
Dauphin,  Monsieur  the  King's  brother,  and  Ma- 
dame (Henrietta  of  England).  The  rest  of  the 
Court  arrived  in  the  afternoon,  and  the  officers  of 
the  King's  household  offered  refreshments  to  every 
one  in  the  rooms  of  the  ground-floor,  the  principal 
ladies  being  shown  to  private  rooms,  where  they 
might  rest.  At  about  six  o'clock  the  King,  the  Queen, 
and  the  whole  Court  went  out  to  the  Grand  Parterre, 
and  in  a  moment  this  charming  multitude  of  beauti- 
ful and  richly  dressed  people  dispersed  into  every 
part  of  the  gardens.  With  them  the  King  passed  in 
front  of  the  Grotto  of  Tethys,  a  marvel  of  rockwork 
and  playing  waters,  and  went  down  across  the  grass 
to  the  Basin  of  the  Dragon,  to  point  out  the  figures 
of  gilded  lead  that  had  just  been  placed  there. 
Then,  passing  through  the  groves  of  young  trees,  the 

[260] 


THE   COURT   AND   FETES 

shade  of  which  was  already  fairly  thick,  they  assem- 
bled in  a  sort  of  labyrinth,  the  centre  of  which  was 
arranged  as  an  open-air  room,  at  the  junction  of  five 
paths. 

The  basin  that  was  there  was  covered  by  five 
buffets  supported  by  the  fountain,  of  which  each 
presented  quite  an  unexpected  appearance:  one  was 
a  mountain  whose  caves  were  filled  with  various 
kinds  of  cold  meats;  another  was  a  palace  built  of 
almond  cake  and  sugared  pastry.  Between  the 
buffets  were  vases  containing  shrubs,  which  bore 
preserved  fruit.  Neither  was  there  any  lack  of 
fresh  fruit:  it  was  arranged,  still  growing  upon  the 
trees,  in  hedges  along  the  five  paths:  in  one,  pears 
of  all  kinds  might  be  picked;  in  another,  Dutch 
gooseberries;  in  the  third  were  apricots  and  peaches; 
in  the  fourth,  oranges  and  cherries,  and  the  fifth 
was  bordered  throughout  its  length  with  Portuguese 
orange-trees.  The  most  diverse  tastes  might  be  satis- 
fied and  the  eyes,  too,  were  charmed,  for  at  the  end 
of  each  path  a  flowered  niche  was  arranged,  adorned 
with  the  King's  cipher,  and  sheltering  gilded  fig- 
ures of  sylvan  divinities,  which  were  very  effective 
against  the  green  background  of  the  hedges. 

After  their  Majesties  had  been  some  time  in  this 
charming  place  and  the  ladies  had  refreshed  them- 
selves, the  King  allowed  the  people  who  were  fol- 

[263] 


VERSAILLES 

lowing  him  about  to  pillage  the  tables;  and  the  de- 
struction of  such  a  fine  display  furnished  the  Court 
with  another  very  pleasant  amusement,  on  account 
of  the  hurry  and  confusion  of  those  who  demolished 
these  castles  of  almond  cake  and  mountains  of 
preserves.  The  King  then  stepped  into  his  caleche, 
the  Queen  into  her  chaise,  and  the  Court  into  car- 
riages, and  they  drove  round  the  Basin  of  the  Foun- 
tain of  Swans,  which  is  at  the  end  of  the  Royal  Walk 
opposite  the  Palace.  Here,  though  the  group  of  the 
Car  of  Apollo  was  not  yet  set  up,  there  was  a  large 
spout  of  water  composed  of  a  number  of  jets.  Fol- 
lowing other  paths  they  arrived  at  the  space  where 
Vigarani  had  put  up  the  theatre.  The  hall  was 
capable  of  holding  nearly  three  thousand  spectators. 
The  outside  was  entirely  made  of  foliage,  the  inside 
was  hung  with  the  most  beautiful  tapestry  belonging 
to  the  Crown,  and  lighted  by  thirty-two  crystal  chan- 
deliers. On  the  two  sides  of  the  stage  two  statues, 
Victory  and  Peace,  did  homage  to  the  fortunate  con- 
queror of  Flanders  and  Franche-Comte.  The  first 
scene  in  the  theatre  showed  a  splendid  garden,  orna- 
mented with  canals  and  cascades,  with  a  palace 
and  a  distant  landscape.  Refreshments  were  again 
offered  at  the  entrance  to  the  theatre :  then  an  amus- 
ing comedie  by  Moliere  was  played.  The  scenery 
in  the  theatre  was  changed  several  times,  and  the  play 

[264] 


THE   COURT   AND   FETES 

was  interwoven  with  a  symphony  in  several  parts, 
sung  by  the  most  beautiful  voices,  and  with  various 
very  amusing  ballets.  The  last  ballet,  in  which 
more  than  a  hundred  persons  were  performing 
on  the  stage  at  the  same  time,  which  had  never 
been  seen  before  in  France,  represented  the  Triumph 
of  Bacchus,  and  was  set  to  the  music  of  Lulli.  The 
comedy  mentioned  above  was  by  Moliere,  who  had 
taken  advantage  of  the  theatrical  conventions  of  the 
day  to  mingle  the  pastoral  scenes  of  the  ballet  and  the 
final  mythological  scene  with  the  two  acts  of  a 
bourgeois  comedy  that  was  not  wanting  in  gaiety.  It 
treated  of  the  troubles  "of  a  rich  peasant  married  to 
the  daughter  of  a  country  gentleman."  This  was 
none  other  than  Georges  Dandin. 

On  leaving  the  theatre  the  Court  made  its  way  to 
another  junction  of  paths  in  the  park,  there  to  watch 
from  afar  the  illumination  of  an  octagonal  room 
composed  of  foliage,  covered  with  a  dome,  and 
adorned  with  gilded  figures,  trophies,  and  bas-reliefs. 
The  interior  of  it  was  a  magic  scene,  with  its  endless 
effects  of  water  and  light.  In  the  centre  of  the  room 
a  large  rock,  surmounted  by  a  figure  of  Pegasus  and 
studded  with  silver  figures  of  Apollo  and  the  Muses, 
represented  Parnassus:  flowing  cascades  bubbled 
from  its  summit,  and  forming  four  little  rivers  ran 
out  upon  grassy  lawns.  The  whole  building  was 

[265] 


VERSAILLES 

made  of  foliage,  with  the  exception  of  eight  pilasters 
at  the  angles,  which  supported  marble  shells  by  which 
the  water  was  returned.  The  cornice  supported  por- 
celain vases  full  of  flowers,  alternately  with  large 
crystal  balls,  and  from  it  garlands  of  flowers  were 
suspended  by  scarves  of  silver  gauze.  Opposite  the 
entrance  was  the  principal  buffet  in  an  arbour  of  con- 
siderable size,  and  on  it  was  the  King's  most  beautiful 
china  and  plate,  with  twenty- four  enormous  basins  of 
chased  silver,  divided  from  each  other  by  as  many 
large  silver  vases,  cressets,  and  candelabra.  There 
were  also  some  high  silver  stands,  recently  made  at 
the  Gobelins,  on  which  were  other  candelabra  lighted 
with  ten  candles  of  white  wax.  The  King  took  up 
his  position  in  front  of  the  rock,  round  which 
tables  had  been  arranged  to  accommodate  sixty 
people. 

The  banquet  was  of  five  courses,  each  of  fifty-six 
large  dishes !  In  the  neighbouring  paths  the  Queen's 
private  table  was  laid  under  awnings,  and  many  other 
tables  were  prepared  for  the  ladies.  There  were 
three  for  the  ambassadors  in  the  Grotto  of  Tethys, 
and  there  were  other  profusely  laden  tables  in  various 
parts  of  the  park,  where  any  one  might  eat.  We  will 
only  mention  the  table  of  the  Duchesse  de  Mont- 
ausier,  at  which  were  seated  Madame  de  Montespan, 
the  beautiful  Madame  de  Ludres,  Mademoiselle  de 

[266] 


THE   COURT   AND   FETES 

Scudery  and  Madame  Scarron,  afterwards  Madame 
de  Maintenon.  To  the  King's  table,  where  the 
Duchesse  de  la  Valliere  was  seated,  the  Marquis  de 
Sevigne  had  been  invited  with  her  daughter,  after- 
wards Madame  de  Grignan. 

The  King,  having  risen  from  the  table,  left  the 
room  by  a  portico  that  faced  the  Palace,  and  in  a 
couple  of  hundred  paces  reached  the  ballroom. 
This  was  not,  like  the  supper-room,  made  of  foliage, 
but  was  a  magnificent  eight-walled  building,  faced 
outside  and  in  with  marble  and  porphyry,  and  orna- 
mented with  garlands  of  flowers.  "There  is  no 
palace  in  the  world,"  cried  Mademoiselle  de  Scud- 
ery, "  that  has  a  room  so  fine,  so  large,  so  high,  and  so 
superb."  There  were  six  rows  of  seats  arranged  in 
the  form  of  an  amphitheatre,  the  back  of  which  was 
a  grotto  of  rockwork.  The  decorative  figures  in 
plaster  or  pasteboard,  at  which  the  good  sculptors  of 
the  King's  buildings  had  worked  their  best,  repre- 
sented Arion,  Orpheus  singing  among  the  nymphs, 
and  eight  women,  who  held  in  their  hands  various 
instruments  on  which  they  seemed  to  be  playing  the 
dance-music  for  the  ball.  It  was  here  that  the  effect 
of  the  water  was  most  curious.  It  flowed  from  the 
pedestals  of  the  statues,  from  the  back  of  the  grottoes, 
and  all  along  a  path  that  opened  out  on  one  side  of 
the  hall.  This  path,  which  was  flanked  by  little 
[269] 


VERSAILLES 

rooms  with  termini  standing  at  their  entrances,  ap- 
peared to  go  back  a  long  way.  Quite  at  the  end 
there  was  a  grotto  of  rocks  with  gilded  figures  of 
marine  deities,  in  which  were  some  fine  sheets  of 
water,  which,  after  falling  into  several  successive 
basins,  divided  into  two,  and  flowed  along  the  path 
in  two  channels  of  marble,  to  be  united  once  more  in 
a  basin  at  the  entrance  of  the  salon.  A  large  jet  of 
water  in  the  basin,  and  sixteen  smaller  ones,  gushed 
from  the  channels  and  helped  to  enhance  the  effect. 
The  splendour  of  the  hall  was  worthy  of  its  surround- 
ings. There  was  a  marvellous  effect  of  crystal 
chandeliers  and  pyramids  of  candles  in  that  great 
hall,  where  the  brilliancy  of  the  waters  emulated  the 
beauty  of  the  lights,  and  the  sound  of  the  fountains 
harmonised  with  the  violins. 

A  still  more  astonishing  spectacle  brought  the  fete 
to  an  end.  After  the  ball  the  King  and  Court 
climbed  the  steps  of  the  Horse-shoe  round  the  Basin 
of  Latona,  and  found  there  some  magnificent  illu- 
minations, for  which  no  visible  preparations  during 
the  day  had  prepared  the  spectators.  "  After  having 
passed  along  several  paths  whose  comparative  dark- 
ness served  to  increase  the  brilliancy  of  the  sight  that 
followed,  and  on  arriving  at  a  magnificent  terrace 
whence  both  the  Palace  and  the  terraces  that  form 
an  amphitheatre  of  gardens  are  visible,  the  spectators 

[2/0] 


THE   COURT   AND   FETES 

saw  a  prodigious  change  which  had  taken  place  in 
everything.  It  may  be  affirmed  that  no  night  was 
ever  made  so  beautiful  and  so  brilliant  as  that  one. 
For  indeed  the  Palace  seemed  to  be  a  veritable  Palace 
of  the  Sun,  for  it  was  luminous  everywhere,  and  all 
the  windows  seemed  to  be  filled  with  the  most  beau- 
tiful statues  of  antiquity,  but  statues  that  were  lumi- 
nous and  of  various  colours,  which  shed  a  great  light." 
All  the  balustrades  and  terraces  of  the  different  gar- 
dens, which  were  usually  bordered  with  porcelain 
vases  rilled  with  flowers,  were  now  edged  with  vases 
that  blazed  with  light,  which  ornamented,  and  at  the 
same  time,  lit  up  the  vast  extent  of  the  parterres.  In 
addition  to  the  statues  of  the  Palace  and  the  vases  of 
the  terraces  and  the  balustrades,  there  appeared  in  the 
gardens  below  rows  of  glowing  termini,  luminous 
colossal  figures,  statues  and  caducei  twined  with 
fire,  etc. 

We  will  again  quote  a  contemporary  narrative: 
"  As  though  it  were  not  enough  to  charm  the  eye  with 
the  illumination  of  so  many  stationary  objects,  the 
crash  of  a  thousand  mortars  was  suddenly  heard,  and 
was  followed  by  a  thousand  jets  of  fireworks,  which 
were  seen  rising  from  the  basins,  the  fountains,  the 
flower-beds,  the  green  woods,  and  a  hundred  differ- 
ent places.  The  two  elements,  water  and  fire,  were 
so  closely  mingled  together  that  it  was  impossible  to 


VERSAILLES 

distinguish  them.  When  a  thousand  flames  were 
seen  issuing  from  the  earth  and  rising  in  every  direc- 
tion, it  seemed  possible  that  there  were  as  many  canals 
spurting  fire  that  night  as  had  supplied  jets  of  water 
during  the  day.  This  surprise  created  a  pleasant  dis- 
turbance among  the  spectators,  and  only  lasted  long 
enough  to  imprint  upon  the  mind  a  fine  impression 
of  what  water  and  fire  can  do  when  they  meet  and 
contend  with  one  another.  Then  every  one,  thinking 
that  this  marvellous  show  of  fireworks  must  be  the 
end  of  the  fete,  was  returning  towards  the  Palace, 
when  suddenly  the  sky  was  filled  with  flashes  and  the 
air  with  a  noise  that  seemed  to  make  the  earth  shake. 
Every  one  stood  still  to  see  this  fresh  surprise,  and  im- 
mediately a  huge  number  of  large  rockets  shot  into 
the  air.  There  were  even  some  that  marked  out  the 
King's  cipher  as  they  turned  and  twisted,  tracing  the 
double  L  brilliantly  in  the  air  in  vivid  and  clear 
light."  At  last  all  these  lights  were  extinguished, 
when  the  day,  "  jealous  of  the  advantages  of  so  beau- 
tiful a  night,"  began  to  appear. 

Such  was  the  fete  of  1668,  the  first  apotheosis  of 
Versailles.  Almost  immediately  afterwards  the 
order  was  given  to  remodel  the  house  and  its  gardens. 
It  was  at  this  period  that  the  young  King  began  to 
dream  of  preparing  a  more  glorious  future  for  Ver- 
sailles, and  of  moving  the  Court  and  Government 


THE   COURT   AND   FETES 

thither.  When  he  had  realised  this  desire  the  fetes 
at  Versailles  became  more  numerous,  and  formed  one 
of  the  chief  titles  to  fame  of  the  French  Court,  which 
was  envied  by  foreign  Courts  for  its  magnificence 
and  good  taste,  and  was  imitated  by  all.  The  fetes 
of  Louis  XIV.,  and,  later  on,  those  of  Louis  XV., 
were  copied,  in  the  same  way  that  palaces  and  gardens 
in  imitation  of  those  at  Versailles  were  built  every- 
where in  Europe,  and  especially  in  the  principalities 
of  Germany. 

Every  year  the  Carnival  was  the  chief  occasion  for 
rejoicings.  The  masked  balls  given  by  the  King,  the 
Dauphin  (Monseigneur),  the  princes,  and  some  of 
the  great  seigneurs,  were  frequent  and  gave  much 
pleasure.  The  gazettes  spread  detailed  accounts  of 
them  in  the  provinces  and  abroad.  During  the  Car- 
nival of  1683,  which  we  will  mention  as  an  example, 
five  large  and  remarkable  balls  were  given  in  five 
different  suites  of  apartments  in  Versailles.  The  first 
was  given  by  the  Grand  ficuyer;  Monseigneur  ap- 
peared there  at  first  carried  in  a  chair  and  accom- 
panied by  a  large  number  of  Punches  and  dwarfs; 
then  he  went  away  and  changed  his  costume,  and  re- 
appeared four  times  with  his  suite,  in  different  dis- 
guises. 

It  was  he  himself  who  gave  the  second  Court 
ball  in  the  Hall  of  the  Guards,  which  served  as  an 

[275] 


VERSAILLES 

ante-room  to  his  apartments.  Monsieur  le  Due,  son 
of  the  great  Conde,  gave  the  third,  which  was  mag- 
nificent. Lulli,  dressed  as  a  Moor,  beat  time  and  con- 
ducted the  King's  violinists,  who  were  also  dressed  as 
Moors.  Presently  Bacchus  and  Silenus  appeared, 
and  the  goat  belonging  to  Bacchus'  suite.  Silenus 
was  represented  as  a  harlequin  mounted  on  a  donkey, 
which  was  caparisoned  with  vine-branches  and 
grapes;  while  Bacchus,  whose  part  was  played  by  a 
professional  comedian,  was  covered  with  hams,  sau- 
sages, bottles,  etc.,  and  was  carried  on  a  barrel  by  two 
satyrs.  Bacchus  and  Silenus  made  a  very  agreeable 
diversion,  and  finally  they  quarrelled,  while  the  don- 
key and  the  goat  began  to  fight,  which  amused  the 
spectators  very  much. 

A  few  days  afterwards  it  devolved  upon  the  Car- 
dinal de  Bouillon  in  his  turn  to  receive  the  Court. 
He  was  Grand  Almoner  of  France,  and  in  this 
capacity  was  a  great  dignitary  of  the  Crown.  Fi- 
nally, the  fifth  and  last  ball  was  given  by  the  witty 
Marquise  de  Thianges,  Madame  de  Montespan's 
sister. 

Among  other  masquerades  that  amused  the  guests 
was  the  entrance  of  "  some  mantelpiece  orna- 
ments," consisting  of  seven  pieces  of  porcelain. 
There  were  pots  and  grotesque  figures  from  China. 
These  pieces  of  porcelain  were  represented  by  persons 

[276] 


THE   COURT   AND   FETES 

of  the  first  rank;  and  one  may  see  here  a  sign  of  the 
fashion  that  was  then  coming  in  for  curiosities  from 
the  Far  East. 

At  one  of  the  masked  balls  of  1685  the  Dauphin 
arrived  in  the  dress  of  a  mountebank,  and  on  simply 
pulling  a  little  cord  he  instantly  appeared  in  the  gar- 
ments of  a  Chinese  grandee.  Every  year  new  de- 
velopments and  new  masquerades  were  invented, 
with  the  help  of  Berain,  the  clever  organiser  of  the 
King's  Menus-Plaisirs.  For  the  rest,  all  the  Carni- 
vals were  alike,  and  it  is  enough  to  have  given  some 
interesting  examples  of  the  customs  of  the  Court 
We  will  merely  mention  that  on  February  24,  1699, 
three  thousand  masks  were  counted  in  Monsieur's 
apartment,  and  in  1700  the  Duchesse  de  Maine,  being 
about  to  be  confined  and  obliged  to  stay  in  bed, 
gave  twenty  balls  in  her  own  room  during  the 
Carnival. 

The  same  customs  prevailed  at  the  bah  pares  or 
ranges  as  at  the  masked  balls,  which  were  always  sub- 
ject to  very  severe  rules  and  regulations,  at  all  events 
under  Louis  XIV.,  and  were  really  artistic  spectacles. 
The  company  were  arranged  in  the  form  of  an 
oblong:  on  one  side  of  it  was  the  King's  arm-chair 
(or  three  arm-chairs  when  the  King  and  Queen  of 
England  were  present),  and  in  a  line  with  him  on 
each  side  was  the  royal  family,  down  to  the  rank  of 

[277] 


VERSAILLES 

the  grandson  of  France  inclusively.  Sometimes  in 
the  confusion  of  the  ball  the  Princesses  of  the  Blood, 
on  the  pretext  of  speaking  to  some  one  at  the  side  or 
at  the  back,  would  come  up  and  take  the  places  at  the 
end.  The  ladies  of  the  Queen's  household  in  order 
of  precedence,  those  with  titles  first  and  then  the 
others,  occupied  the  two  long  sides  to  right  and  left. 
Opposite  the  King  were  the  dancers,  the  Princes  of 
the  Blood,  and  others.  All  the  ladies  seated  in  the 
oblong  had  to  dance,  in  accordance  with  an  order 
issued  by  the  King.  The  Princes  of  the  Blood,  who 
did  not  dance  at  all,  were  seated  with  the  courtiers 
behind  the  ladies;  and  in  the  case  of  masked  balls 
every  one  at  first  stood  with  face  uncovered,  mask  in 
hand.  Some  time  after  the  ball  had  begun,  if  there 
were  to  be  fresh  entries  or  changes  of  costume,  those 
concerned  left  the  room  in  different  parties,  and  re- 
turned masked,  so  that  no  one  could  tell  afterwards 
who  any  particular  person  was. 

Dancing  in  those  days  was  a  difficult  and  serious 
affair.  A  great  deal  of  study,  a  great  deal  of  taste, 
and  beauty  as  well,  were  required  to  give  grace  to  the 
stiff  and  formal  movements  of  the  pavane  and  the 
minuet;  and  to  be  a  good  performer  in  these  dances, 
which  were  always  very  serious  and  altogether  lack- 
ing in  quick  motion,  and  were  composed  of  steps  in 
every  direction,  and  majestic  curtseys.  The  best  in- 

[278] 


THE   COURT   AND   FETES 

structed  ladies  in  this  art  were  summoned  to  the 
Court,  and  among  the  princesses  who  excelled  in  it 
was  the  young  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne. 

After  the  Carnival  came  Lent,  which  was  kept  very 
strictly  by  order  of  the  King.  All  fetes  and  amuse- 
ments came  to  an  end,  and  were  replaced  by  numer- 
ous pious  exercises  and  sermons,  among  others  the 
severe  sermons  of  Bourdaloue  against  excessive  card- 
playing,  which  was  the  greatest  evil  of  the  Court,  and 
in  which  the  princes  and  princesses  themselves  too 
often  gave  a  bad  example. 

Throughout  the  year  the  Court  had  its  reception 
days,  a  custom  that  was  not  yet  established  in  any 
other  Court  in  Europe,  and  served  as  an  example  to 
other  sovereigns.  On  the  occasions  called  the  ap- 
partement  the  whole  Court  was  assembled  from  six 
or  seven  o'clock  in  the  evening  until  ten,  the  hour  at 
which  the  King  went  to  supper.  These  gatherings 
took  place  in  the  great  reception-rooms  extending 
from  one  of  the  salons  at  the  upper  end  of  the  Grand 
Gallery  to  the  vicinity  of  the  gallery  of  the  Chapel, 
which  occupied  until  1710  the  space  where  Louis 
XV.  made  the  Hall  of  Hercules.  "  The  King,"  says 
the  Mercure  Galant,  "  grants  admission  to  his  great 
apartments  at  Versailles  on  the  Monday,  Wednesday, 
and  Thursday  of  every  week,  for  the  playing  of  every 
sort  of  game,  and  these  days  are  called  jours  d'ap- 

[28.] 


VERSAILLES 

partement.  All  the  guests  arrive  at  the  hour  ap- 
pointed for  their  reception  in  these  superb  rooms. 
No  one  presents  himself  without  knowing  beforehand 
that  he  is  assured  of  admission.  Some  choose  one 
game  and  others  are  attracted  by  another;  others 
again  only  wish  to  watch  the  games,  while  there  are 
those  who  prefer  to  walk  about,  admiring  the  scene 
and  the  splendour  of  the  great  rooms.  Although 
these  are  filled  with  people  no  one  is  to  be  seen  there 
who  is  not  of  distinguished  rank,  whether  man  or 
woman.  Every  one  is  permitted  to  talk,  and  the 
guests  make  conversation  together  as  they  choose. 
Respect,  nevertheless,  demands  that  no  one  should 
raise  his  voice  too  much,  and  thus  there  is  no  exces- 
sive noise.  The  King,  the  Queen,  and  all  the  Royal 
House  condescend  from  their  dignified  position  to 
play  games  with  many  of  the  guests  who  have  never 
experienced  such  an  honour.  The  sovereign  goes 
from  one  game  to  another ;  he  does  not  wish  any  one 
to  rise  at  his  approach,  nor  to  interrupt  the  game. 
When  the  players  are  tired  of  one  game  they  play 
another.  Then  they  listen  to  music  or  watch  while 
others  dance;  they  converse  together;  they  go  into  the 
refreshment-room  or  the  supper-room.  The  manner 
in  which  they  are  waited  upon  is  more  agreeable 
than  is  customary,  so  assiduous  are  the  servants  who 
stand  behind  the  card-tables,  and  hand  the  cards,  the 

[282] 


THE  COURT  AND   FETES 

counters,    and    anything    required    by    the    play- 
ers.    .     .     ." 

Here  we  see  the  beginning  of  those  usages  of  good 
society  which  were  gradually  to  become  the  custom 
in  every  Court  of  Europe,  and  were  at  last  to  be  the 
rule  in  every  circle  of  distinction.  The  customs  of 
polite  society  were  about  to  undergo  a  real  trans- 
formation, to  which  the  charm  and  refinement  of  the 
Court  of  France  contributed  not  a  little. 


HOW  LOUIS   XIV.   SPENT   HIS   DAY  AT 

VERSAILLES;   HIS    HABITS   AND 

HIS  CHARACTER 


is  a  certain  curiosity  attaching  to 
the  details  of  the  life  of  that  sovereign 
whom  the  French  justly  call  the  "Grand 
Roi"  who  is  chiefly  interesting  to  us  in  this 
book  as  the  creator  of  Versailles.  We  like  to  know 
how  he  lived,  how  he  passed  his  days,  and  how  his 
friends  and  subjects  were  permitted  to  see  him  and 
approach  him.  The  memoirs  of  the  day,  the  journal 
of  the  Marquis  de  Dangeau,  and  above  all  the  famous 
writings  of  the  Due  de  Saint-Simon,  supply  us  with 
all  the  information  necessary  to  satisfy  our  curiosity. 
With  their  help  we  will  describe  how  Louis  XIV. 
spent  an  entire  day  towards  the  second  part  of  his 
reign  —  a  simple,  ordinary  day,  without  any  Court 
functions  or  exceptional  ceremonies,  by  which  we 
shall  see  more  plainly  what  Saint-Simon  calls  the 
"  mechanism  "  of  the  King's  life.  This  account  will 
teach  us  at  the  same  time  the  uses  of  the  different 

[284] 


LOUIS   XIV. 

rooms  in  the  Palace,  and  will  be  of  considerable 
value  to  such  as  visit  Versailles  in  the  desire  of  form- 
ing a  mental  picture  of  life  in  the  past. 

At  eight  o'clock  the  first  valet-de-chambre  for  the 
quarter,  who  was  the  only  attendant  who  slept  in  the 
King's  room,  drew  back  the  curtains  by  which  the  bed 
was  entirely  surounded,  and  woke  his  Majesty.  The 
first  physician,  the  first  surgeon,  and  the  woman  who 
was  his  nurse  as  long  as  she  lived,  entered  the  room  at 
the  same  time.  The  nurse  embraced  him,  and  the 
others  rubbed  him,  and  often  changed  his  shirt.  At 
a  quarter  past  eight  the  Grand  Chamberlain  was  sum- 
moned, or  in  his  absence  the  First  Gentleman  of  the 
Chamber  for  the  year,  together  with  the  courtiers 
and  people  of  importance  who  had  the  right  of  the 
grandes  entrees.  The  Grand  Chamberlain  or  First 
Gentleman  drew  the  curtains,  which  had  been  closed 
again,  and  presented  the  holy  water  from  the  vessel 
at  the  head  of  the  bed.  These  gentlemen  were  there 
for  a  little  time,  and  this  was  their  opportunity  for 
speaking  to  the  King  if  they  had  anything  to  say  to 
him  or  to  ask;  in  which  case  the  others  went  away. 
When  there  was  no  one  who  wished  to  speak  to  him, 
as  was  most  usual,  they  only  stayed  a  few  moments. 
The  one  who  had  drawn  the  curtains  and  presented 
the  holy  water,  presented  the  book  of  the  Office  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,  and  then  they  all  passed  out  into  the 

[285] 


VERSAILLES 

Council  Room.  As  soon  as  he  had  read  this  very 
short  office  the  King  called  to  them,  and  they  re- 
turned. The  same  official  gave  him  his  dressing- 
gown,  and  meanwhile  the  secondes  entrees  took  place, 
followed  a  few  minutes  later  by  the  entrees  de  la 
Chambre.  The  most  distinguished  persons  entered 
first,  and  then  every  one  else,  and  found  the  King 
putting  on  his  shoes  and  stockings,  for  he  did  nearly 
everything  for  himself,  both  skilfully  and  gracefully. 
Every  second  day  they  watched  him  shaving;  and  at 
this  time  he  always  wore  a  short  little  peruke,  for  he 
never  at  any  time,  even  in  bed  when  he  had  taken 
medicine,  appeared  in  public  without  a  peruke.  He 
often  spoke  of  the  chase,  and  sometimes  he  addressed 
a  word  or  two  to  some  one.  There  was  no  toilet-table 
near  him;  a  looking-glass  was  simply  held  up  before 
him. 

As  soon  as  he  was  dressed  he  said  his  prayers  by  the 
bedside,  and  all  the  clergy  who  were  present,  and  any 
cardinals  who  had  no  special  distinction,  fell  upon 
their  knees.  All  the  laymen  remained  standing,  and 
the  Captain  of  the  Guard  stood  near  the  railing  dur- 
ing the  prayers  of  the  King,  who  afterwards  passed 
out  into  his  Cabinet.  This  room  was  restored  and 
enlarged  under  Louis  XV.  There  he  found  all  those 
who  had  the  right  of  admission  to  the  Cabinet  except 
those  who  followed  him  in.  This  right  was  very 
[286] 


LOUIS   XIV. 

widely  enjoyed  on  account  of  the  number  of  officials, 
all  of  whom  possessed  it.  There  he  gave  every  one 
his  orders  for  the  day;  and  thus  it  was  known  how 
the  King  intended  to  spend  nearly  every  minute  of 
the  day  from  morning  to  evening.  Every  one  then 
left  the  room,  except  the  King's  illegitimate  sons, 
MM.  de  Montchevreuil  and  d'O,  who  had  been  their 
tutors,  and  the  architect  Mansart,  who  had  been  ap- 
pointed Superintendent  of  Buildings.  Later  on  he 
was  succeeded  by  the  Due  d'Autin  in  this  important 
post.  The  King  liked  at  this  hour  to  talk  over  the 
works  and  buildings  that  he  was  continually  ordering 
at  his  various  chateaux  and  to  inspect  the  plans, 
which  he  discussed  and  corrected.  Every  one,  at  this 
hour  of  the  morning,  entered  the  King's  Cabinet,  not 
through  the  bedroom,  but  by  "  the  back  way," 
through  the  rooms  of  the  Valets  of  the  Inner  Apart- 
ments. This  was  a  pleasant  time  for  all  who  were 
admitted  to  the  Cabinet,  and  was  the  time  when  all 
the  schemes  for  the  gardens  and  buildings  were 
thought  out.  It  lasted  for  a  longer  or  shorter  time 
according  to  the  King's  business. 

Meantime  the  whole  Court  was  waiting  in  the 
Great  Gallery.  The  Captain  of  the  Guard  was  alone 
in  the  bedroom,  seated  at  the  door  of  the  Cabinet. 
He  was  told  when  the  King  wished  to  go  to  Mass, 
and  then  he  entered  the  Cabinet. 

[287] 


VERSAILLES 

It  was  during  this  interval  that  the  King  gave  audi- 
ences, if  he  had  granted  any,  or  if  he  wished  to  speak 
to  any  one,  and  also  gave  secret  audiences  to  foreign 
ministers,  in  the  presence  of  M.  de  Torcy,  Secretary 
of  State  for  Foreign  Affairs.  These  audiences  were 
only  called  secret  to  distinguish  them  from  those  that 
were  held  unceremoniously  at  the  King's  bedside 
after  he  had  said  his  prayers,  which  were  called 
private  audiences,  and  also  from  those  of  cere'mony, 
which  were  also  accorded  to  ambassadors. 

The  King  left  the  room  by  the  door  of  looking- 
glass  that  led  into  the  Gallery,  and  passing  through 
the  State  apartments,  followed  by  his  courtiers,  he 
went  to  hear  Mass,  at  which  his  choir  always  sang  a 
motet.  He  sat  in  the  large  gallery  on  a  level  with 
the  apartments,  and  only  went  down  into  the  choir  on 
days  of  festival  or  on  ceremonious  occasions.  As  he 
walked  to  and  from  the  Chapel  any  one  who  wished 
might  speak  to  him  freely  after  having  applied  to  the 
Captain  of  the  Guard,  except  in  the  case  of  distin- 
guished people,  who  might  address  him  without  in- 
tervention. The  King  returned  to  his  private  rooms 
by  the  same  door  in  the  Gallery.  While  he  was  hear- 
ing Mass  the  ministers  were  summoned,  and  assem- 
bled in  the  King's  room,  where  people  of  distinction 
could  go  up  and  talk  to  them  on  matters  of  business  or 
pleasure.  The  King's  leisure,  after  he  returned  from 

[288] 


LOUIS   XIV. 

Mass,  was  very  short,  and  almost  at  once  he  sum- 
moned his  Council.  This  was  the  end  of  what  was 
called  the  matinee. 

The  King  worked  a  great  deal  and  very  conscien- 
tiously at  affairs  of  State,  to  assist  him  in  which  he  had 
succeeded  in  surrounding  himself  with  the  most  able 
ministers  and  councillors.  Nearly  every  day  of  the 
week  he  held  a  long  council  in  his  Cabinet.  On  Sun- 
day there  was  a  Council  of  State,  and  often  on  Mon- 
day also;  on  Tuesday  a  financial  council;  on  Wed- 
nesday a  Council  of  State;  and  on  Saturday  a  financial 
council.  Thursday  morning  was  nearly  always  free. 
This  was  the  day  when  the  King  gave  audiences,  most 
commonly  audiences  of  which  the  Court  did  not 
know,  the  favoured  person  being  introduced  by  the 
"back  way."  This  was  also  a  great  day  for  the 
King's  illegitimate  sons,  and  for  the  building  depart- 
ment and  the  Valets  of  the  Inner  Rooms,  because  the 
King  had  nothing  to  do.  On  Friday  after  Mass  was 
the  time  for  the  King's  confession,  which  had  no 
limits  and  might  last  until  dinner-time.  The  in- 
fluence exercised  over  the  King  in  these  interviews 
by  the  famous  Jesuit,  Pere  de  la  Chaise,  is  well 
known. 

The  King  nearly  always  ate  his  dinner  au  'petit 
convert,  that  is  to  say  alone  in  his  room,  at  a  square 
table  opposite  the  middle  window.  It  was  more  or 

[289] 


VERSAILLES 

less  abundant;  for  in  the  morning  he  ordered  petit 
convert  or  tres-petlt  convert.  Even  the  latter  always 
consisted  of  many  dishes,  and  of  three  courses  as  well 
as  a  dessert  of  fruit.  As  soon  as  the  meal  was  served 
the  principal  courtiers  entered,  and  after  them  every 
one  who  was  at  all  known.  Then  the  first  Gentleman 
of  the  Chamber  went  to  summon  the  King,  and 
waited  upon  him  if  the  Grand  Chamberlain  was  not 
present. 

Saint-Simon  says  that  he  very  rarely  saw  the 
Dauphin  (Monseigneur)  and  his  sons  at  these  private 
dinners,  and  that  the  King  never  asked  them  to  sit 
down.  The  Princes  of  the  Blood  and  the  cardinals 
were  often  there,  and  Monsieur  the  King's  brother 
fairly  often,  when  he  came  from  his  chateau  at  Saint- 
Cloud  to  see  the  King,  or  after  he  had  been  attending 
the  Conseil  des  Depeches,  the  only  council  in  which 
he  took  part.  He  handed  a  napkin  to  the  King,  and 
remained  standing.  Presently  the  King,  seeing  that 
he  did  not  go  away,  asked  him  if  he  would  not  sit 
down ;  he  bowed,  and  the  King  ordered  a  seat  to  be 
brought  for  him.  A  stool  was  placed  behind  him, 
and  after  a  few  moments  the  King  said  to  him: 
"  Mon  frere,  pray  sit  down."  He  bowed,  and  re- 
mained seated  until  the  end  of  the  meal,  when  he 
again  gave  a  napkin  to  the  King.  At  other  times, 
when  he  came  from  Saint-Cloud,  the  King  when  he 
[290] 


PETIT  TRIANON 


LOUIS   XIV. 

sat  down  would  order  a  place  to  be  laid  for  Monsieur, 
or  would  ask  him  if  he  would  not  like  some  dinner. 
If  he  declined  the  honour  he  went  away  a  moment 
afterwards  without  there  being  any  question  of  giv- 
ing him  a  seat;  if  he  accepted,  the  King  ordered  a 
place  to  be  laid  for  him.  The  table  was  square, 
and  Monsieur  sat  at  one  side,  with  his  back  to  the 
Cabinet. 

Then  the  Grand  Chamberlain  or  the  first  Gentle- 
man of  the  Chamber  filled  Monsieur's  glass  and 
handed  plates  to  him,  and  removed  those  that  he  put 
aside,  as  he  did  for  the  King;  but  Monsieur  received 
all  these  attentions  with  marked  politeness,  showing 
by  his  behaviour  that  in  the  King's  presence,  although 
he  was  his  brother,  he  was  conscious  of  his  very  in- 
ferior position.  If  the  Princes  of  the  Blood  attended 
the  King's  lever,  as  they  sometimes  did,  they  per- 
formed the  duties  of  the  first  Gentleman  of  the 
Chamber  themselves,  and  when  it  was  to  Monsieur 
that  this  honour  fell  he  showed  great  satisfaction. 
When  he  dined  with  the  King  he  talked  a  good  deal 
and  enlivened  the  conversation  very  much.  Al- 
though seated  at  the  table  he  handed  the  napkin  to 
the  King  at  the  beginning  and  end  of  the  meal.  The 
King,  although  he  spoke  a  few  words  now  and  then, 
generally  talked  very  little  while  at  his  dinner,  unless 
some  of  the  nobles  who  were  his  special  friends  were 

[293] 


VERSAILLES 

present.  With  them  he  talked  a  little  more,  as  he 
did  at  his  lever. 

The  dinner  au  grand  convert  was  extremely  rare, 
and  only  occurred  on  the  occasion  of  grand  fetes,  or 
sometimes  at  Fontainebleau,  when  the  Queen  of  Eng- 
land was  there.  No  lady  but  one,  and  she  very 
seldom,  came  to  the  private  dinners.  The  exception 
was  the  Marechale  de  la  Mothe-Houdancourt,  who 
had  been  the  King's  governess.  As  soon  as  she  ap- 
peared a  seat  was  brought  for  her,  and  she  sat  down, 
for  she  was  a  duchess  by  letters  patent,  and  had  the 
right  of  the  tabouret,  the  right,  that  is  to  say,  of  sitting 
down  in  the  presence  of  the  King  and  Queen.  On 
leaving  the  table,  Louis  XIV.  at  once  returned  to 
his  Cabinet.  This  was  one  of  the  moments  when 
persons  of  distinction  might  speak  to  him.  He 
paused  for  a  moment  to  listen ;  then  he  entered,  and 
very  rarely  some  one  followed  him,  but  never  with- 
out asking  permission,  which  very  few  dared 
to  do. 

Then  he  took  up  his  position,  with  the  man  who  fol- 
lowed him,  in  the  embrasure  of  the  window  nearest 
to  the  door  of  the  Cabinet,  which  was  immediately 
closed,  and  which  the  man  who  was  talking  to  the 
King  opened  for  himself  when  he  went  out.  At  this 
hour  the  King  was  again  visited  by  his  children  and 
the  Valets  of  the  Inner  Rooms,  and  sometimes  by  the 
[294] 


LOUIS   XIV. 

architects  of  the  building  department,  who  waited  in 
the  rooms  at  the  back.  The  chief  physician  was  al- 
ways present  at  the  dinner  and  followed  the  King  into 
his  Cabinet.  Monseigneur  came  at  this  hour  too,  if 
he  had  not  seen  the  King  in  the  morning.  He  en- 
tered and  left  by  the  door  into  the  Galley.  Thus  we 
see  that  the  habits  and  the  rights  of  every  one  were 
minutely  regulated. 

It  amused  the  King  to  feed  his  setters,  and  he  stayed 
with  them  for  a  certain  time;  then  he  asked  for 
the  attendants  connected  with  the  Wardrobe,  and 
changed  his  clothes  in  the  presence  of  the  very  small 
number  of  distinguished  people  whom  it  pleased  the 
First  Gentleman  of  the  Chamber  to  admit.  Imme- 
diately afterwards  the  King  went  out  through  the 
rooms  at  the  back  and  down  his  private  staircase  into 
the  Marble  Court  to  his  carriage.  As  he  walked 
from  the  foot  of  this  staircase  to  the  carriage  any  one 
who  would  might  speak  to  him,  and  this  was  also  the 
case  as  he  returned. 

The  King  was  extremely  fond  of  fresh  air,  and 
when  he  was  deprived  of  it  he  suffered  in  health,  be- 
ing subject  to  headaches  and  depression  caused  by  his 
former  excessive  use  of  perfumes;  indeed,  he  had 
once  carried  their  abuse  so  far  that  for  many  years  he 
had  not  been  able  to  endure  any  scent  but  that  of 
orange-flowers,  and  the  courtiers  and  ladies  had  to 

[295] 


VERSAILLES 

be  extremely  careful  to  use  none,  in  case  they  should 
be  obliged  to  go  near  him. 

As  he  was  very  insensible  to  differences  in  tempera- 
ture, and  even  to  rain,  it  was  only  when  the  weather 
was  especially  inclement  that  he  was  prevented  from 
going  out  every  day.  His  outings  had  only  three 
objects:  first,  hunting  the  stag  with  his  pack  of 
hounds,  which  he  did  once  a  week,  and  often  more, 
when  he  was  staying  at  his  chateaux  of  Marly  and 
Fontainebleau  in  the  summer:  secondly,  shooting  in 
his  park,  and  there  was  no  man  in  France  who  could 
shoot  so  accurately,  so  skilfully,  and  with  such  grace. 
This  also  he  did  once  or  twice  during  the  week,  espe- 
cially on  the  Sundays  and  fete-days  on  which  he  did 
not  wish  to  have  a  great  hunting  expedition.  Thirdly, 
on  the  other  days  he  went  to  watch  the  workmen  at 
their  work,  and  to  walk  in  his  gardens  and  buildings. 
Sometimes  he  made  expeditions  with  ladies,  and  gave 
them  refreshments  in  some  grove  of  Versailles,  or  in 
the  forest  of  Marly  or  of  Fontainebleau.  He  liked 
also  to  go  with  his  whole  Court  round  the  Grand 
Canal,  and  this  was  a  splendid  sight,  when  some  of 
the  courtiers  were  on  horseback.  On  his  other  ex- 
peditions he  was  only  followed  by  those  whose  offices 
were  important  and  brought  them  near  to  his  person. 
Sometimes  there  was  a  large  number  of  courtiers 
when  he  walked  in  the  gardens  of  Versailles — when 

[296] 


LOUIS    XIV. 

only  he  wore  a  hat — or  in  those  of  Trianon,  but  this 
was  only  when  he  slept  at  Trianon  and  stayed  there 
for  several  days.  This  was  also  the  case  at  Marly; 
but  if  he  were  staying  there  all  who  were  taking  part 
in  the  expedition  were  quite  at  liberty  to  follow  him 
about  the  gardens,  to  join  him  there,  to  leave  him 
there;  in  short,  to  enjoy  their  visit  in  any  way  they 
liked. 

There  was  one  privilege  which  was  the  custom  at 
this  place,  Marly,  and  at  no  other.  On  leaving  the 
chateau  the  King  said  aloud :  "  Your  hats,  gentle- 
men! "  and  instantly  the  courtiers,  the  officers  of  the 
bodyguard,  and  the  officials  of  the  building  depart- 
ment, placed  their  hats  on  their  heads,  whether  they 
were  in  front  of  the  King  or  behind  him,  or  beside 
him,  and  he  would  have  taken  it  ill  if  any  one  had 
even,  not  omitted,  but  delayed  to  put  on  his  hat.  This 
state  of  things  lasted  throughout  the  expedition,  that 
is  to  say,  for  four  or  five  hours  sometimes  in  summer. 
He  often  had  something  to  eat  early  at  Versailles  in 
order  to  go  to  Marly  merely  for  the  day.  With  its 
delicious  gardens  Marly  was  thus  a  kind  of  annexe 
to  the  principal  royal  dwelling. 

Stag-hunting  was  one  of  the  chief  amusements  of 
the  Court.  At  Fontainebleau  any  one  might  take 
part  in  it  who  wished;  but  elsewhere,  and  especially 
in  the  "  great  park  "  of  Versailles,  only  those  courtiers 

[297] 


VERSAILLES 

might  join  in  it  who  had  obtained  permission  once 
for  all,  and  those  who  possessed  the  uniform  jacket, 
which  was  blue  trimmed  with  gold  and  silver  lace, 
one  stripe  of  silver  between  two  of  gold,  and  was 
lined  with  red.  There  was  a  fairly  large  number  of 
them,  but  they  never  hunted  in  more  than  one  party 
at  a  time,  who  came  together  by  chance.  The  King 
liked  to  have  a  certain  number  of  companions,  but 
too  many  worried  him,  and  spoilt  the  hunt.  He  liked 
people  to  enjoy  the  chase,  but  he  did  not  wish  them  to 
hunt  without  enjoying  it;  he  thought  that  was  ridi- 
culous, and  he  bore  no  grudge  against  those  who 
never  hunted. 

It  was  the  same  with  regard  to  gambling.  He 
liked  the  play  in  the  salon  of  Marly  to  be  high,  and 
continual.  They  played  lansquenet  chiefly,  but  there 
were  a  great  many  tables  arranged  for  other  games  in 
different  parts  of  the  salon.  At  Fontainebleau,  when 
the  weather  was  bad,  it  gave  him  great  pleasure  to 
watch  good  performers  at  tennis,  in  which  he  had 
formerly  excelled,  and  at  Marly  he  liked  to  watch 
the  game  of  mall,  in  which  he  had  also  been  very 
skilful.  There  was  a  Mall,  too,  in  the  gardens  of 
Versailles. 

Sometimes,  on  days  when  there  was  no  Council 
held,  and  he  was  at  Versailles,  he  would  go  to  dine  at 
Marly  or  Trianon  with  Madame  Le  Duchesse  de 

[298] 


LOUIS   XIV. 

Bourgogne,  Madame  de  Maintenon,  and  other  ladies, 
and  this  occurred  much  more  frequently  during  the 
last  years  of  life.  In  the  summer  the  minister  who 
was  to  work  with  him  arrived  as  he  rose  from  the 
table,  and  after  the  work  was  finished  he  spent  his 
time  until  the  evening  in  walking  or  driving  with 
ladies,  or  playing  games  with  them,  or  fairly  often 
in  getting  up  a  lottery  for  them,  in  which  every  one 
drew  a  winning  number.  Thus  it  was  really  a  grace- 
ful way  of  giving  them  presents,  apportioned  by 
chance,  of  things  for  their  personal  use,  such  as  pieces 
of  stuff  or  silk,  or  jewels  varying  in  beauty  in  order 
to  leave  more  to  chance.  Madame  de  Maintenon 
drew  lots  like  the  others,  and  nearly  always  gave  her 
winnings  away  instantly;  but  the  King  did  not  draw. 
It  was  not  only  on  these  occasions  that  there  were 
lotteries,  but  often  also  when  the  King  was  dining 
with  Madame  de  Maintenon.  The  idea  of  these 
dinners  was  slow  in  coming  to  him,  and  for  a  long 
time  they  occurred  very  rarely,  but  later  on  they  took 
place  once  a  week,  with  ladies  with  whom  he  was  inti- 
mate, and  were  accompanied  by  music  and  card- 
playing.  At  the  lotteries  there  were  only  the  ladies 
of  the  Palace,  and  those  with  whom  he  was  on 
familiar  terms. 

In  the  summer  the  King  worked  in  his  own  rooms 
with  his  ministers,  on  leaving  the  table;  and  when 


VERSAILLES 

the  days  began  to  shorten  he  worked  in  the  evening 
in  Madame  de  Maintenon's  rooms. 

When  he  was  returning  from  his  drive  any  one 
might  speak  to  him  who  wished,  as  he  walked  from 
his  carriage  to  the  foot  of  his  private  staircase.  He 
changed  his  clothes  as  before,  and  then  remained  in 
his  Cabinet,  where  his  friends  and  the  Valets  of  the 
Inner  Rooms  were  able  to  approach  him  quite  at 
their  ease.  For  these  intervals,  which  occurred  three 
times  in  the  day,  were  given  up  to  them,  and  to  those 
who  brought  him  reports,  either  verbal  or  in  writing. 
It  was  also  the  time  when  the  King  wrote,  if  he  had 
any  writing  to  do  for  himself.  On  returning  from 
his  drives  he  remained  in  his  rooms  for  an  hour  or 
more:  then  he  went  to  the  rooms  of  Madame  de 
Maintenon,  and  on  his  way  thither  any  one  might  ad- 
dress him  who  would. 

This  daily  visit  to  Madame  de  Maintenon  rilled  a 
large  place,  in  the  thoughts  of  the  Court.  Her 
rooms  were  on  the  same  floor  as  those  of  the  King. 
The  great  bedroom  of  the  Marquise  was  lighted  by 
three  windows,  and  was  very  large.  The  King's 
arm-chair  was  on  one  side  of  the  fireplace,  and  be- 
fore him  was  a  campstool  for  the  minister  who  came 
every  day  to  work  with  him.  On  the  other  side  of 
the  fireplace  was  a  recess  hung  with  red  damask,  and 
an  arm-chair  in  which  sat  Madame  de  Maintenon 

[302] 


LOUIS   XIV. 

with  a  little  table  before  her.  She  never  interfered 
with  the  work  of  the  King  and  his  ministers :  her  in- 
fluence, which  was  nearly  always  good,  was  perfectly 
discreet.  Very  often  the  young  Duchesse  de  Bour- 
gogne,  with  one  or  two  of  her  favourite  ladies,  came 
to  visit  "  her  aunt,"  and  the  princess's  bright  and  ani- 
mated conversation  cheered  the  old  King.  More 
than  once  the  conversation  concerned  the  plays  that 
the  Duchesse  acted  before  the  King  in  a  neighbouring 
room,  where  also  the  young  ladies  of  Saint-Cyr 
played  Racine's  tragedy  of  Esther.  These  plays  were 
of  great  interest  to  the  King,  to  Monseigneur,  and  to 
those  privileged  persons  who  were  admitted  on  rare 
occasions.  (They  took  place  in  the  room  where  the 
portrait  of  Madam  de  Maintenon  with  her  young 
niece  now  hangs,  in  the  background  of  which  picture 
the  artist  has  placed  the  House  of  Education  for  poor 
girls  of  noble  birth,  founded  at  Saint-Cyr  near  Ver- 
sailles by  Madame  de  Maintenon.) 

Before  the  King's  supper-hour,  Madame  de  Main- 
tenon's  servants  brought  in  her  soup  and  laid  her 
table.  She  ate  her  supper  in  the  presence  of  the 
King,  who  went  on  with  his  work.  The  meal  was 
very  short;  the  table  was  removed;  and  the  Mar- 
quise's women  undressed  her  quickly  and  put  her  to 
bed.  As  soon  as  the  King  was  told  that  his  supper 
was  ready,  he  rose,  approached  Madame  de  Main- 

[303] 


VERSAILLES 

tenon's  bed,  said  good-night  to  her,  and  returned  to 
his  own  rooms  for  supper. 

It  was  at  ten  o'clock  that  the  King's  supper  was 
served.  The  maitre  d'hotel,  wand  in  hand,  went  to 
announce  the  fact  to  the  Captain  of  the  Guard  in 
Madame  de  Maintenon's  ante-room,  where  that 
officer  had  just  taken  up  his  position.  None  but  the 
captains  of  the  guard  were  admitted  to  this  ante- 
chamber, which  was  very  small,  and  was  between 
the  room  in  which  the  King  and  Madame  de  Main- 
tenon  sat,  and  another  very  small  ante-room  assigned 
to  the  officers.  The  greater  number  of  the  courtiers 
waited  at  the  door  of  the  suite,  on  the  landing  of  the 
marble  staircase.  The  Captain  of  the  Guard  stood 
on  the  threshold  of  the  room,  and  told  the  King  that 
his  supper  was  ready,  returning  immediately  to  the 
ante-room.  A  quarter  of  an  hour  afterwards  the 
King  went  to  supper,  which  was  always  in  public, 
and  as  he  went  from  Madame  de  Maintenon's  ante- 
room to  his  own  table  any  one  might  speak  to  him 
who  wished  to  do  so. 

This  meal  was  always  in  public,  with  the  royal 
house,  that  is  to  say  only  the  sons  and  daughters  of 
the  Crown,  and  the  grandsons  and  granddaughters  of 
the  Crown.  A  great  number  of  courtiers  were  pres- 
ent, and  of  ladies,  of  whom  as  many  were  sitting  as 
standing,  and  two  evenings  before  the  expeditions  to 
[304] 


LOUIS   XIV. 

Marly  all  those  who  wished  to  take  part  in  it  were 
present  also.  This  was  called  "  applying  for  Marly." 
The  men  applied  in  the  morning  of  the  same  day,  by 
simply  saying  to  the  King:  "  Sire,  Marly."  Dur- 
ing his  last  years  this  wearied  the  King;  and  the  page 
on  duty  wrote  down  in  the  gallery  the  names  of  those 
who  applied  there.  The  ladies,  however,  continued 
to  apply  in  person  to  the  King  for  the  much  coveted 
favour  of  a  visit  to  Marly. 

After  supper  the  King  stood  for  a  few  moments 
with  his  back  to  the  railing  at  the  foot  of  his  bed,  sur- 
rounded by  his  whole  Court;  then,  bowing  to  the 
ladies,  he  passed  out  into  his  private  sitting-rooms, 
where  he  gave  his  orders.  Here  he  spent  a  little 
less  than  an  hour  with  his  children  and  grandchil- 
dren, both  legitimate  and  otherwise,  and  their  hus- 
bands and  wives,  who  all  assembled  in  one  of  the 
Inner  Rooms.  The  King  sat  in  one  arm-chair  and 
Monsieur  in  another,  for  in  private  they  lived  on 
brotherly  terms.  The  Dauphin  (Monseigneur) ,  and 
all  the  other  princes,  remained  standing,  and  the 
princesses  sat  on  stools.  Madame  le  Duchesse 
d'Orleans  was  admitted  after  the  death  of  Madame 
la  Dauphine.  This  family  gathering  was  augmented 
by  those  who  were  sufficiently  familiar  to  come  in 
through  the  rooms  at  the  back,  and  by  the  inevitable 
Valets  of  the  Inner  Room. 

[30SJ 


VERSAILLES 

The  princesses'  ladies  of  honour,  and  the  ladies  of 
the  palace  on  duty  for  the  day,  waited  meanwhile  in 
the  Council  Room,  which  at  Versailles  was  next  to 
the  room  in  which  the  King  sat.  At  Fontainebleau, 
where  there  was  but  one  large  sitting-room,  the  ladies 
of  the  princesses  who  were  seated  completed  the  cir- 
cle, in  the  same  row  as  the  princesses  and  on  similar 
stools,  while  the  other  ladies  remained  at  the  back, 
and  were  at  liberty  to  stand  or  to  sit  on  the  floor  with- 
out ceremony,  which  a  good  many  of  them  did.  The 
conversation  was  only  on  the  subject  of  hunting,  or 
some  other  indifferent  topic. 

The  King,  when  he  wished  to  retire,  fed  his  dogs ; 
then  said  good-night  and  went  into  his  room,  where 
he  said  his  prayers  by  the  bedside  as  in  the  morning, 
and  then  undressed.  He  said  good-night  by  inclin- 
ing his  head,  and  while  every  one  was  leaving  the 
room  he  remained  standing  at  the  corner  of  the 
chimney-piece,  where  he  gave  his  orders  to  the 
colonel  of  the  guard  alone.  Then  began  the  petit 
coucher,  at  which  those  who  had  the  grande  entree 
and  the  seconde  entree  were  present.  This  ceremony 
was  very  short.  The  courtiers  did  not  leave  the  room 
till  the  King  was  in  bed,  and  this  was  one  of  the 
moments  when  privileged  people  might  address  him. 
When  it  was  seen  that  some  one  wished  to  speak  to 
the  King,  every  one  else  went  out  of  the  room  and 

[306] 


LOUIS   XIV. 

left  them  together.  Thus  the  day  ended;  a  day  full 
of  activities,  in  which  everything  had  a  place;  reli- 
gious duty,  the  care  of  affairs  of  State,  the  patronage 
of  the  arts,  the  private  interests  of  the  Court,  and 
family  affection. 

We  can  now  see  why  Louis  XIV.  created  Ver- 
sailles, with  its  new  town,  and  the  multitude  of  dwell- 
ings in  the  Palace  and  its  dependencies,  in  which  the 
King  was  able  to  lodge  as  many  as  ten  thousand  peo- 
ple! In  order  to  hold  his  magnificent  Court  it  was 
necessary  for  him  to  have  the  whole  nobility  within 
reach.  Moreover,  his  action  was  the  result  of  pro- 
foundly politic  calculation,  for  he  had  never  for- 
gotten the  dangers  run  by  his  throne  and  even  by  his 
person  during  his  minority,  at  the  time  of  the  civil 
war  of  the  Fronde,  when  the  nobility  of  France  had 
rebelled  against  the  authority  of  the  Crown.  Ver- 
sailles was  created  with  the  object  of  domesticating 
these  over-powerful  and  turbulent  nobles,  of  separat- 
ing them  from  their  lands  and  subjecting  them  to  the 
King,  of  binding  them  to  him  by  golden  chains,  by  a 
multiplication  of  honourable  offices,  and  by  giving 
them  a  taste  for  the  pleasures  of  a  magnificent  Court. 
This  method  succeeded  admirably,  and  the  sons  of 
the  rebels  were  all  brilliant  courtiers  and  generals 
faithful  to  the  King  and  very  proud  of  the  rank  and 
honours  accorded  to  them  in  the  ceremonies  of  Ver- 

[309] 


VERSAILLES 

sailles.  Louis  XIV.'s  pride  was  satified,  and  he  took 
good  care  that  no  one  should  evade  the  new  duties 
that  he  had  laid  upon  the  whole  nobility  of  the 
kingdom. 

He  liked  to  be  seen,  explains  the  Due  de  Saint- 
Simon  in  the  passage  that  describes  Louis  XIV.'s 
character,  and  he  was  anxious  to  be  admired  and 
loved.  He  not  only  desired  the  constant  presence  of 
people  of  noble  birth,  but  he  wished  for  that  of  every 
one  else  also.  He  looked  to  right  and  left  at  his 
lever,  at  his  coucher,  at  his  meals,  as  he  passed  from 
one  room  to  another,  and  as  he  walked  in  the  gardens 
of  Versailles,  where  alone  the  courtiers  were  at 
liberty  to  follow  him.  He  went  deeply  into  their 
reasons  for  absenting  themselves,  whether  the  cause 
were  general  or  particular,  and  those  who  were 
hardly  ever  present  were  disgraced.  When  he  was 
requested  for  something  in  the  name  of  such  a  man 
he  would  answer  proudly:  "I  do  not  know  him." 
Or  again :  "  He  is  a  man  I  never  see."  These 
decisions  were  irrevocable.  He  could  not  endure 
people  who  enjoyed  being  in  Paris.  He  was  com- 
paratively lenient  with  those  who  loved  their  places 
in  the  country,  but  nevertheless  it  behoved  them  to 
return  very  quickly,  and  if  they  were  to  be  absent  for 
any  length  of  time  to  show  themselves  conspicuously 
before  they  went. 


LOUIS   XIV. 

No  one  ever  granted  favours  with  a  better  grace, 
or  increased  the  value  of  his  benefits  more  generously 
in  this  way.  No  one  ever  understood  so  well  how  to 
make  his  words,  his  smiles,  even  his  glances,  valued. 
He  made  everything  precious  by  his  discrimination 
and  dignity;  the  brevity  and  rarity  of  his  speech 
added  greatly  to  its  worth.  The  person  he  addressed 
was  looked  at  by  every  one  in  the  room.  The  dis- 
tinction became  the  subject  of  conversation,  and  the 
object  of  it  was  treated  with  a  certain  amount  of  con- 
sideration. It  was  the  same  with  every  attention,  dis- 
tinction, or  preference  shown  by  the  King,  who  was 
not  at  all  lavish  of  such  favours.  He  never  allowed 
himself  to  say  a  disagreeable  word;  if  he  had  to  find 
fault,  or  reprimand  or  correct  any  one,  which  was 
extremely  rare,  he  always  did  so  with  a  certain  degree 
of  kindness,  hardly  ever  sternly  and  never  angrily. 

He  was  a  man  of  the  greatest  natural  courtesy,  of 
a  courtesy  of  every  shade  and  degree;  for  none  paid 
more  attention  than  he  to  distinctions  of  age,  merit, 
and  rank.  He  marked  these  different  distinctions 
very  carefully  in  his  way  of  greeting  people  and 
acknowledged  their  bows  as  they  entered  or  left  the 
room.  His  different  ways  of  acknowledging  salutes 
at  the  head  of  his  troops,  whether  at  the  front  or  at 
reviews,  were  really  admirable.  With  woman  his 
bearing  was  incomparable.  He  never  passed  any 


VERSAILLES 

kind  of  coif,  even  if  it  were  worn  by  a  servant-girl, 
without  raising  his  hat.  When  meeting  ladies  he  un- 
covered altogether,  but  at  varying  distances;  for 
titled  people  he  raised  his  hat  and  held  it  in  the  air 
or  close  to  his  ear  for  a  few  moments  in  a  more  or 
less  marked  way.  For  seigneurs  he  considered  it 
enough  to  put  his  hand  to  his  hat.  For  Princes  of 
the  Blood  he  removed  it  in  the  same  way  as  for  ladies. 
If  he  spoke  to  ladies  he  never  placed  his  hat  on  his 
head  till  he  had  left  them.  All  this  relates  to  when 
he  was  out  of  doors,  for  in  the  house  he  was  always 
uncovered.  His  bows,  more  or  less  marked  but  al- 
ways slight,  were  incomparably  graceful,  as  was  his 
way  of  half  rising  from  his  seat  at  the  supper-table 
whenever  a  duchess  entered.  He  did  this  for  no 
other  lady,  nor  yet  for  the  Princes  of  Blood,  and  when 
he  grew  old  this  custom  tired  him,  though  he  never 
gave  it  up.  The  ladies,  therefore,  were  careful  not 
to  enter  the  room  after  he  had  begun  his  supper.  In 
the  same  way  he  showed  a  distinction  in  his  accept- 
ance of  services  from  Monsieur,  the  Due  d'Orleans, 
and  the  Princes  of  the  Blood. 

If  he  were  kept  waiting  for  anything  while  he  was 
dressing  he  always  waited  patiently;  he  was  always 
punctual  to  the  hours  he  gave  for  the  arrangements 
of  the  day;  his  orders  were  always  given  with  preci- 
sion, clearness,  and  brevity.  If,  in  the  bad  winter 


LOUIS   XIV. 

weather  when  he  could  not  go  out,  he  went  to 
Madame  de  Maintenon's  rooms  a  quarter  of  an  hour 
earlier  than  the  time  he  had  appointed,  and  the  cap- 
tain of  the  guard  were  not  at  his  post,  he  never 
omitted  to  say  on  his  return  that  it  was  his  own  fault 
for  having  altered  the  hour,  and  not  the  fault  of  the 
captain  for  being  absent.  This  method  had  the  effect 
of  securing  for  him  the  most  punctual  service,  and  it 
was  of  the  greatest  convenience  to  the  courtiers. 

He  treated  his  valets  very  well,  especially  those  of 
the  Inner  Rooms.  It  was  among  them  that  he  felt 
most  at  his  ease  and  became  most  expansive.  The 
friendship  or  aversion  of  these  individuals  often  had 
great  results.  They  were  always  in  a  position  to  help 
or  injure  others  with  the  King,  and  they  recall  the 
powerful  freedmen  of  the  Roman  Emperors,  whom 
the  Senate  and  great  men  of  the  Empire  courted  and 
basely  flattered.  Throughout  this  reign  the  valets 
were  no  less  considered  and  no  less  courted.  Even 
the  most  powerful  ministers  were  openly  careful  to 
keep  on  good  terms  with  them,  and  the  Princes  of  the 
Blood  treated  them  in  the  same  way.  The  office  of 
First  Gentleman  of  the  Bedchamber  was  more  than 
eclipsed  by  that  of  First  Valet  of  the  Bedchamber, 
and  it  was  only  thanks  to  the  goodwill  of  the  inferior 
officials  that  the  more  important  ones  kept  their  posts. 
The  insolence  of  the  former  was  proportionate  to 

[313] 


VERSAILLES 

their  power,  and  could  only  be  endured  by  avoiding 
coming  in  contact  with  it. 

Louis  XIV.'s  gallantry  was  proverbial,  and  he  gave 
it  the  rein  in  his  marvellous  Court  fetes,  of  which  the 
ladies  were  the  principal  ornament.  It  was  with  the 
Queen  his  mother  and  the  Comtesse  de  Siossons  that 
he  had  acquired  his  wonderful  polish  of  manner, 
which  was  increased  by  the  companionship  of  his 
mistresses.  His  air  of  dignity  was  tempered  with 
gaiety;  but  his  smallest  gesture,  his  bearing,  his  gait, 
his  countenance,  all  were  noble  and  grand  and  at  the 
same  time  quite  natural — the  effect  of  habit  assisted 
by  a  regal  presence  and  a  fine  figure.  On  serious  oc- 
casions, too,  such  as  interviews  with  ambassadors  and 
ceremonial  functions,  there  never  was  a  more  impos- 
ing monarch;  and  those  who  were  to  address  him 
were  wise  if  they  accustomed  themselves  to  his  ap- 
pearance beforehand,  lest  they  should  be  struck  dumb 
in  the  middle  of  speaking.  His  answers  on  such  oc- 
casions were  always  short,  just,  and  accurate,  and  it 
was  very  seldom  that  they  did  not  include  something 
courteous,  or  even  flattering  if  the  speech  deserved  it. 
And  the  respect  induced  by  his  presence  wherever  he 
was  imposed  absolute  silence,  and  indeed  a  kind  of 
awe. 

He  liked  to  take  as  much  exercise  in  the  open  air 
as  his  strength  would  allow.  He  had  once  excelled 

[314] 


LOUIS   XIV. 

in  the  dance,  and  in  the  games  of  mall  and  tennis.  As 
an  old  man  he  was  still  an  admirable  horseman.  He 
liked  to  see  all  these  games  and  sports  practised  with 
grace  and  skill.  For  a  man  to  acquit  himself  well  or 
badly  in  his  presence  was  meritorious  or  the  contrary. 
He  said  that  in  unnecessary  things  of  that  kind  it  was 
better  to  leave  them  alone  altogether  than  not  to  do 
them  well.  He  was  very  fond  of  shooting,  and  there 
was  no  better  shot  than  he;  he  insisted  on  having 
first-rate  setters,  and  always  kept  seven  or  eight  in 
his  own  rooms,  where  he  liked  to  feed  them  himself 
in  order  that  they  might  learn  to  know  him.  He 
also  enjoyed  stag-hunting,  but  he  followed  the  hunt 
in  a  carriage  after  he  broke  his  arm  while  hunting  at 
Fontainebleau.  He  drove  alone  in  a  little,  light, 
two-wheeled  carriage  called  a  soufflet,  drawn  by  four 
little  horses,  which  were  changed  five  or  six  times, 
and  he  drove  these  at  breakneck  speed  with  a  skill  the 
best  coachman  did  not  possess,  and  with  the  same 
grace  that  he  showed  in  everything.  His  postillions 
were  children,  varying  in  age  from  nine  to  fifteen 
years,  and  he  guided  them  himself. 

He  liked  profusion,  splendour,  magnificence  in 
everything.  He  made  a  principle  of  this  taste  for 
reasons  of  policy,  and  inspired  the  whole  Court  with 
it.  Those  pleased  him  best  who  conformed  to  it  in 
the  table  they  kept,  in  their  clothes,  their  carriages, 


VERSAILLES 

their  buildings,  and  their  card-playing.  These 
habits  gave  him  opportunities  for  conversing  with 
people :  but  perhaps  his  real  motive  was  that  by  these 
means  he  succeeded  in  draining  the  fortunes  of  his 
courtiers,  and  that  by  making  luxury  honourable  he 
made  it  impossible  for  any  one  to  live  except  by  his 
kindness.  He  also  found  a  satisfaction  to  his  pride 
in  holding  so  splendid  a  Court,  and  in  the  great  med- 
ley of  people,  which  gradually  destroyed  natural  dis- 
tinctions and  thereby  enhanced  the  greatness  of  the 
King's  unique  position. 

After  the  year  1709  Louis  XIV.  experienced  the 
most  terrible  troubles,  which  in  one  way  only  in- 
creased his  renown,  and  placed  it  on  a  more  solid 
foundation  than  all  the  glitter  of  his  conquests  and 
the  long  tale  of  his  prosperous  years  had  ever  done. 
His  greatness  of  soul  remained  unshaken  during  these 
long  reverses;  his  sorrows  at  home  and  his  misfor- 
tunes abroad  in  no  wise  broke  down  his  courage. 
Seeing  him  left  without  resources  his  enemies  abroad 
laughed  at  his  powerless  position,  and  sneered  at  his 
past  glory;  but  he,  in  the  midst  of  his  domestic 
troubles,  preserved  his  constancy,  his  firmness  of  char- 
acter, his  equable  temper,  his  unchanging  determina- 
tion to  remain  at  the  helm  o5  affairs,  his  hope  against 
hope,  and  this  through  courage  and  wisdom,  not 
through  blindness.  The  preservation  of  this  un- 


J 


LOUIS   XIV. 

changing  front  is  what  few  men  would  have  been 
capable  of;  and  it  is  by  virtue  of  this  that  he  deserves 
the  name  of  Louis  the  Great,  which  was  given  to  him 
so  prematurely!  It  was  this,  too,  that  gained  him 
the  admiration  of  all  Europe,  as  well  as  that  of  the 
subjects  who  had  witnessed  his  strength  and  firmness, 
and  that  won  back  to  him  so  many  hearts  that  had  been 
alienated  in  the  course  of  his  long  and  arduous  reign. 
And  Saint-Simon  says  that  he  could  humiliate  himself 
in  secret  under  the  hand  of  God,  recognising  His  jus- 
tice, and  imploring  His  mercy,  without  lowering 
himself  or  his  crown  in  the  eyes  of  men. 

This  honourable  ending  of  his  life,  which  re- 
deemed the  excesses  due  to  his  pride  and  the  faults 
due  to  his  passions,  must  be  attributed  to  the  sincerity 
of  his  Christian  sentiments  and  to  the  influence  of 
Madame  de  Maintenon,  of  whom  many  evil  things 
have  been  wrongfully  said  because  she  had  many 
enemies.  Impartial  historians  of  to-day  recognise 
unanimously  that  Madame  de  Maintenon  had  many 
sterling  qualities,  rendered  the  King  great  services, 
often  counselled  him  wisely,  and  was  indeed,  as  his 
unacknowledged  wife,  the  good  genius  of  his  old  age. 

The  Queen  had  died  in  the  year  1683.  The  first  of 
the  King's  bereavements  towards  the  end  of  his  reign 
was  the  death,  in  1701,  of  his  brother  Monsieur,  for 
whom  he  had  much  affection,  in  spite  of  sundry  dif- 


VERSAILLES 

faculties  that  arose  between  them  from  time  to  time. 
Their  most  serious  quarrel  concerned  the  marriage 
of  Mademoiselle  de  Blois,  Louis  XIV.'s  natural 
daughter,  with  Monsieur's  son  the  Due  de  Chartres. 
No  one  but  the  King  desired  this  marriage;  all  the 
other  interested  persons  cared  very  little  about  it,  and 
the  Princess  Palatine,  Monsieur's  wife,  even  re- 
garded it  with  apprehension  as  an  indignity  to  her 
son,  and  was  so  much  annoyed  with  him  for  agreeing 
to  it  that  she  actually  boxed  his  ears  in  public.  The 
wishes  of  the  monarch,  however,  were  carried  out; 
but  the  Due  de  Chartres  was  not  exactly  gallant  to  his 
young  wife,  who  openly  complained.  The  matter 
formed  a  constant  subject  of  discussion  between  the 
King  and  Monsieur  his  brother.  One  morning  the 
scene  had  been  more  than  usually  violent,  and  when 
they  came  and  sat  down  to  the  table  Monsieur's  face 
was  red  and  inflamed,  and  his  eyes  sparkling  with 
anger.  Seeing  the  colour  of  his  face,  one  of  the 
ladies  at  the  table,  and  some  of  the  courtiers  remarked 
that  Monsieur  was  in  great  need  of  being  bled.  The 
King,  too,  in  spite  of  the  quarrel,  advised  him  to  be 
bled  every  day.  Tancrede,  his  chief  surgeon,  was 
unskilful  and  unsuccessful  in  bleeding,  but  rather 
than  hurt  his  feelings  Monsieur  refused  to  be  bled 
by  any  one  else,  and  thus  chose  to  die  in  consequence. 
On  the  evening  of  the  day  on  which  the  dispute  with 

[320] 


LOUIS   XIV. 

the  King  had  taken  place  Monsieur,  who  had  re- 
turned to  his  charming  palace  of  Saint-Cloud,  began 
to  feel  the  symptoms  of  the  congestion  of  which,  a 
few  hours  later,  he  was  to  die.  Louis  XIV.  hastened 
to  his  side.  The  King  wept  easily,  and  had  therefore 
melted  into  tears;  he  had  never  had  reason  to  feel 
anything  but  the  tenderest  affection  for  Monsieur, 
and  although  he  had  not  been  on  good  terms  with 
him  during  the  last  two  months,  the  sadness  of  the 
moment  revived  all  his  affection.  Perhaps,  too,  he 
reproached  himself  with  having  hastened  his 
brother's  death  by  the  scene  of  the  morning,  and, 
moreover,  Monsieur  was  younger  than  himself  by 
two  years,  and  had  been  as  strong  as  he  all  his  life. 
.  .  .  Three  hours  after  his  arrival  the  King,  see- 
ing the  chief  surgeon  M.  Fagon,  whom  he  had 
ordered  to  remain  with  Monsieur  till  he  was  dead  or 
better,  said  to  him:  "Ah,  then,  M.  Fagon,  my 
brother  is  dead!"  "Yes,  Sire,"  was  the  answer, 
"  no  remedy  was  of  any  avail."  The  King  wept 
bitterly. 

In  later  years  the  bereavements  of  the  royal  family 
were  frequent.  First  came  the  death  of  the  Grand 
Dauphin  in  1711.  This  prince  was  a  very  ordinary 
individual,  who  played  a  very  obscure  part.  We 
may  see  his  fat  and  unintelligent  face  in  an  interesting 
picture  in  the  Wallace  Collection  at  Hertford  House, 


VERSAILLES 

beside  the  majestic  figure  of  the  King  his  father,  and 
his  son  the  Due  de  Bourgogne.  A  fourth  generation 
of  the  Bourbons  is  represented  in  the  same  picture, 
in  the  person  of  a  little  prince  held  in  leading-strings 
by  Madame  le  Duchesse  de  Ventadour,  the  governess 
of  the  children  of  France.  This  prince  is  the  Due 
de  Bretagne,  who  was  born  in  1707  and  died  in  1712, 
and  was  replaced  in  the  succession  to  the  throne  by 
his  younger  brother,  born  in  1710,  who  became  King 
under  the  name  of  Louis  XV. — the  only  male  scion 
of  this  fertile  line  who  was  surviving  at  the  time  of 
Louis  XIV.'s  death  in  1715. 

Monseigneur,  Louis  XV.'s  grandfather,  had  de- 
rived no  profit  from  the  excellent  education  he  had 
received  from  the  Due  de  Montausier,  and  from  Bos- 
suet,  the  famous  Bishop  of  Meaux:  his  very  mediocre 
mind  could  not  take  advantage  of  it:  by  his  own  con- 
fession, after  he  was  emancipated  from  his  masters 
he  never  read  anything  but  the  Gazette  de  France, 
and  moreover  only  the  article  relating  to  deaths  and 
marriages. 

Everything  in  him  contributed  then — natural 
timidity,  ignorance,  and  the  heavy  yoke  of  education 
— to  make  him  tremble  before  the  King,  who  for  his 
part  omitted  nothing  that  could  encourage  this  terror 
to  last  as  long  as  he  lived.  In  spite  of  Monseigneur's 
complete  initiation  for  many  years  into  all  affairs  of 
[3"]' 


LOUIS   XIV. 

State,  he  never  exercised  the  smallest  influence  in 
them. 

It  was  at  Meudon  that  he  died  while  he  was  still 
quite  young.  His  death-agony  lasted  for  more  than 
an  hour,  during  which  time  he  was  unconscious. 
The  King  was  in  the  room  next  to  that  of  the  dying 
man;  and  Madame  le  Duchesse  and  Madame  la 
Princesse  de  Conti  divided  their  attentions  between 
the  two,  for  the  King  seemed  greatly  distressed,  and 
they  frequently  returned  to  him;  while  the  distracted 
physicians,  the  bewildered  valets,  and  the  whisper- 
ing courtiers  hustled  each  other,  and  ran  ceaselessly 
up  and  down  in  the  same  spot.  Finally  the  fatal 
moment  arrived,  and  Fagon  the  physician  came  out 
to  impart  the  news.  The  King,  who  was  much 
moved  and  greatly  pained  because  his  son  had  not 
been  able  to  make  his  confession,  was  a  little  harsh 
to  the  chief  physician,  and  was  then  led  away  by 
Madame  de  Maintenon  and  the  two' princesses. 

On  hearing  the  news  of  Monseigneur's  death,  his 
two  sons,  the  Due  de  Bourgogne  and  the  Due  de 
Berry,  could  not  restrain  their  grief.  The  Due  de 
Bourgogne  wept  bitterly,  but  gently;  his  tears  were 
those  of  tenderness  and  resignation.  The  Due  de 
Berry,  however,  not  only  sobbed  aloud,  but  gave  vent 
to  cries  and  screams.  They  ceased  occasionally  from 
suffocation,  and  then  broke  out  again  so  noisily  that 

[323] 


VERSAILLES 

the  greater  number  of  those  who  were  present  burst 
out  also  into  fresh  expressions  of  grief. 

After  the  death  of  his  son  the  King  experienced 
another  equally  distressing  bereavement.  The 
charming  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne,  whom  he  loved 
as  much  as  his  own  daughters,  expired  at  Versailles 
on  February  12,  1712.  The  King's  sorrow  was  terri- 
ble, and  he  shared  his  grief  with  his  grandson,  the 
bereaved  husband,  who  himself  died  at  Marly  six 
days  later;  a  circumstance  which  created  a  suspicion 
of  poison  in  the  minds  of  the  Court.  The  rumour 
was  much  discussed,  but  apparently  had  no  founda- 
tion of  fact.  The  Due  de  Bourgogne  was  quite 
young  when  he  died,  and  was  full  of  excellent  quali- 
ties; he  was  the  dearest  hope  of  France.  After 
a  stormy  childhood,  during  which  his  teachers  had 
many  a  battle  with  his  pride,  his  vanity,  his  caprices, 
and  his  tempers,  the  pupil  of  Fenelon,  Archbishop  of 
Cambrai,  gradually  developed  into  the  most  perfect 
of  young  men.  He  had  already  won  distinction  in 
the  army,  with  the  Marshal  de  Villars.  He  loved 
his  grandfather  the  King,  and  his  brothers,  but  above 
all  he  loved  his  young  wife.  The  tenderest  fibres  of 
his  being  were  torn  by  the  pain  of  her  loss.  "  His 
piety,"  writes  Saint-Simon,  "  sustained  him  by  the 
most  prodigious  efforts.  The  sacrifice  was  complete, 
but  it  was  bloody.  In  this  terrible  sorrow  there  was 

[324] 


LOUIS   XIV. 

nothing  base,  nothing  small.  One  saw  a  man  beside 
himself,  trying  to  preserve  his  balance,  but  failing  in 
the  struggle.  It  soon  ended  his  days.  But,  great 
God! — what  an  imitation  of  Jesus  Christ  upon  the 
Cross!  What  marvellous  detachment!  What  eager 
transports  of  thanksgiving  for  being  saved  from  the 
throne  and  from  its  responsibilities!  What  a  splen- 
did idea  of  the  infinite  mercy!  What  a  pious  and 
humble  sense  of  fear!  .  .  .  He  died!  The  earth 
was  not  worthy  of  such  a  prince;  he  was  already  ripe 
for  an  eternity  of  bliss!"  This  passage  on  the  vir- 
tues of  the  Due  de  Bourgogne  is  famous  in  the  litera- 
ture of  France  of  that  period;  and  it  shows  us  that 
the  Due  de  Saint-Simon,  whose  testimony  was  so 
malicious  and  unjust  in  the  case  of  such  of  his  con- 
temporaries as  he  accounted  his  enemies,  could  be  en- 
thusiastic and  full  of  admiration  for  those  he  liked. 
He  seems,  indeed,  to  have  regretted  that  Louis 
XIV.'s  excellent  grandson  did  not  come  to  the  throne, 
and  that  the  crown  of  France  should  have  devolved, 
after  the  Due  d'Orleans'  short  regency,  upon  that 
youthful  prince  of  feeble  character  and  incomplete 
moral  training  who  became  Louis  XV. 


THE   GRAND  TRIANON 

IN  leaving  the  park  of  Versailles  at  a  point 
beyond  the  Basin  of  Neptune  we  come,  by 
way  of  a  wide  path  overshadowed  by  trees, 
to  a  gate,  where  the  presence  of  a  guard- 
house indicates  that  we  are  at  the  entrance  to  another 
demesne.     If  we  advance  a  few  steps  we  see  a  build- 
ing of  somewhat  unusual  contsruction — a  large  one- 
storeyed  erection  with  two  wings  projecting  in  front, 
the  whole  surmounted  by  an  Italian  roof.     The  court 
is  enclosed  by  a  trench.     This  is  the  Grand  Trianon. 
The  Grand  Trianon,  which  was  so  called  after  the 
Petit  Trianon  came  into  existence,  originated  in  the 
caprice  of  a  royal  mistress.     It  was  to  please  Madame 
de  Montespan  that  Louis  XIV.  selected  this  unknown 
corner  for  the  site  of  one  of  those  erections  that  were 
both  his  glory  and  his  folly.    There  stood  here  at 
that  time  a  wretched  village,  in  the  middle  of  the 
lands  belonging  to  the  Abbey  of  St.  Genevieve  of 
Paris.    The  name  of  this  village  was  Trianon.    The 

[326] 


f 


THE  GRAND  TRIANON 

land  was  joined  to  the  demesne  of  Versailles,  the 
houses  were  taken  down,  and  gardens  were  made. 
The  little  chateau  was  built  in  a  few  months,  during 
the  year  1670.  "  This  palace,"  says  a  contemporary 
writer,  "  was  regarded  at  first  by  every  one  as  a  work 
of  magic,  for  it  was  begun  only  at  the  end  of  the  win- 
ter and  was  finished  in  the  spring,  as  though  it  had 
sprung  from  the  earth  with  the  flowers  of  the  gardens 
that  came  into  being  with  it." 

This  was  the  first  surprise  of  the  kind  that  the 
King's  architects  perpetrated — one  of  those  feats  of 
skill  with  which  they  liked  to  please  the  monarch, 
and  which  they  often  accomplished,  knowing  that 
their  master  did  not  care  to  wait  long  for  the  realisa- 
tion of  his  desires.  The  reign  was  at  this  time  pass- 
ing through  its  most  prosperous  period;  France  was 
every  day  rising  in  the  estimation  of  Europe;  the 
successes  of  Louis  XIV.'s  diplomatists  and  the  vic- 
tories of  his  generals  were  countless.  Two  years  be- 
fore, at  the  Treaty  of  Aix-la-Chapelle,  Flanders  had 
become  French  territory,  and  the  war  with  Holland, 
which  was  being  planned  in  the  royal  councils  at  the 
chateau  of  Saint-Germain,  was  about  to.  add  Alsace 
and  Franche  Comte  to  the  possessions  of  the  Mon- 
archy. Louis  the  Great  was  about  thirty-two  years 
of  age :  he  had  not  yet  definitely  established  himself 
at  Versailles,  but  he  came  thither  very  often,  for  he 

[329] 


VERSAILLES 

took  great  pleasure  in  this  spot  to  which  his  father  had 
been  so  much  attached:  he  had  already  altered  and 
enlarged  Louis  XIII.'s  little  chateau,  and  fresh  trans- 
formations were  soon  to  begin. 

From  that  moment  the  King  began  to  dream  of 
transporting  the  Court  to  Versailles,  and  the  neigh- 
bouring chateau  of  Trianon  benefited  from  his  resolu- 
tion. It  had  a  large  share  in  the  royal  favour;  in  the 
year  1670  alone  1,800,000  livres  were  spent  on  it;  and 
of  this  sum  155,000  livres  were  simply  for  the  actual 
masonry,  the  rest  being  spent  in  buying  marble  and 
looking-glasses,  and  in  decoration.  All  the  famous 
artists  were  engaged  in  the  work;  artists  who  were 
soon  to  be  employed  in  the  Palace  of  Versailles,  such 
as  the  sculptors  Le  Hongre,  Massou,  Le  Gros,  Hou- 
zeau,  and  Mazeline,  with  Jouvenet,  who  adorned  the 
upper  part  of  the  house  with  ornaments  in  gilded  lead 
representing  cupids  chasing  animals. 

Every  one  who  saw  this  charming  house  wished 
to  have  a  Trianon  of  his  own,  and  the  name  almost 
became  a  common  noun.  "  Nearly  all  the  noblemen 
who  had  country  houses,"  said  the  Mercure  Galant  in 
1672,  "had  built  Trianons  in  their  parks  or  in  the 
secluded  corners  at  the  end  of  their  gardens;  some 
of  the  bourgeois  had  arranged  houses  en  Trianon, 
or  at  all  events  a  room  in  their  houses,  or  some  kind 
of  turret."  A  great  number  of  prints  are  still  in 

[330] 


THE   GRAND  TRIANON 

existence  representing  Trianon  at  this  period,  viewed 
either  from  the  side  of  the  Avenue  de  Versailles  or 
from  the  gardens.  The  object  of  the  work  of  all 
these  engravers  was  to  satisfy  the  curiosity  of  the 
public  of  their  own  day,  but  as  it  happens  they  have 
also  been  of  service  to  ours,  for  the  first  Trianon  no 
longer  exists. 

The  decorative  scheme  of  this  first  palace,  to 
which  were  attached  four  little  pavilions  for  the 
servants,  all  exactly  alike,  consisted  of  plaques  and 
other  ornaments  in  faience,  in  allusion  to  which 
the  place  was  nicknamed  the  Porcelain  Trianon.  It 
was  the  same  inside,  "  where  everything  was  adorned 
in  the  manner  of  the  works  of  art  that  come  from 
China."  The  explanation  of  this  curious  scheme 
of  decoration,  which  seems  so  much  opposed  to 
everything  else  that  has  descended  to  us  from  Louis 
XIV.'s  day,  lies  in  the  fact  that  the  taste  for  Chi- 
nese art  was  just  coming  into  fashion.  The  mission- 
aries had  published  their  first  descriptions  of  the 
Far  East;  lacquer,  grotesque  figures,  porcelain,  and 
painted  stuffs  were  beginning  to  appear  in  Europe; 
collectors  were  quarrelling  over  the  most  bizarre 
objects;  and  the  famous  Porcelain  Tower  was  ex- 
citing the  astonishment  of  every  French  architect. 
The  architect  of  Trianon  employed,  to  simulate  por- 
celain, the  materials  he  had  at  hand,  faience  and 

[331] 


VERSAILLES 

plaster.  It  is  of  real  interest,  in  the  middle  of  the 
century  characterised  by  dignity  and  pomp,  to  see 
these  symptoms  of  an  amusing  fashion  that  was  soon 
to  take  so  firm  a  hold  on  the  imagination,  not  of 
France  alone,  but  of  all  Europe. 

The  greatest  beauty  of  Trianon  was  the  garden. 
The  large  green-house  with  its  framework  of  wood, 
where  the  fruit-trees  of  the  south  were  growing  in 
the  soil,  was  a  novelty  in  these  latitudes  and  created 
much  astonishment.  The  King  employed  a  quan- 
tity of  gardeners  in  it,  who  supplied  him  with  an 
abundance  of  flowers. 

The  summer  flower-beds  were  quickly  renewed  by 
a  method  of  some  ingenuity.  "There  was  a  pro- 
digious quantity  of  flowers,"  says  the  Due  de  Luynes, 
"  all  growing  in  pots  of  sand  and  planted  in  the  bor- 
ders, so  that  they  could  be  changed,  not  merely  every 
day  if  it  were  desired,  but  even  twice  a  day!  I  was 
assured  that  there  had  been  as  many  as  1,900,000  pots 
at  once,  either  in  the  borders  or  in  the  storehouse." 
This  constant  variety,  these  changes  taking  place 
under  the  very  eyes,  which  gave  a  sense  of  magic 
intervention,  were  particularly  pleasing  to  the  King. 
One  detail  will  suffice  to  show  the  characteristics  of 
the  garden  of  Trianon  under  Louis  XIV.  It  was 
filled,  apparently,  with  all  the  most  strongly  scented 
flowers,  such  as  jasmine,  heliotrope,  tuberoses.  A 
[332] 


THE  GRAND  TRIANON 

little  room  in  the  palace  was  entirely  filled  with 
them,  and  was  called  the  Perfumed  Chamber. 
When  the  Siamese  ambassadors  visited  it  in  1686 
these  Oriental,  we  are  told,  "  admired  the  way  it 
was  perfumed  with  flowers." 

In  1674  tne  garden  was  planted  and  the  palace 
finished.  The  first  fetes  were  held  there  on  the 
occasion  of  the  return  from  Tranche  Comte,  for 
Louis  XIV.  chose  Versailles  and  Trianon  for  the 
celebration  of  his  victories.  The  fetes  lasted  for  six 
days.  On  July  4  Quinault's  Alceste  was  played  in 
the  marble  court  at  Versailles.  On  the  second  day, 
July  n,  the  King  spent  the  evening  at  Trianon, 
where  a  large  eight-sided  room  had  been  built  of 
leafy  branches,  with  a  dome  adorned  with  garlands, 
through  which  the  sky  could  be  seen.  On  one  side 
of  the  .entrance  an  opening  had  been  made,  behind 
which  appeared  a  basin  and  a  jet  of  water;  and  all 
round  it  there  were  statues  of  satyrs  and  nymphs, 
arranged  in  niches,  and  playing  on  various  musical 
instruments.  This  was  the  imaginary  orchestra  to 
which  the  spectators  were  supposed  to  be  listening. 
The  real  musicians  were  on  a  platform  that  sur- 
rounded the  room;  and  the  Court  encircled  the 
King,  whose  seat  faced  the  doorway  with  the 
fountain.  Here  Lulli's  music  was  performed,  with 
some  songs  forming  an  interlude  by  Quinault  called 

[333] 


VERSAILLES 

L'figlogue  de  Versailles.  Having  been  apparently 
much  pleased  with  the  music,  the  King  left  Trianon 
and  roamed  about  until  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening 
in  the  park  of  Versailles,  where  supper  was  served 
in  the  open  air,  among  the  trees. 

At  that  time,  says  Saint-Simon,  Trianon  was  noth- 
ing but  "  a  porcelain  house  where  one  could  go  to 
eat  and  drink."  The  King  entertained  ladies  there. 
The  Queen  went  there  sometimes  without  him,  with 
her  own  ladies.  Madame  de  Sevigne  writes  on  June 
12,  1675:  "The  Queen  went  yesterday  to  a  repast 
at  Trianon ;  she  got  out  at  the  church,  and  again  at 
Clagny,  where  she  took  Madame  de  Montespan  into 
her  carriage  and  drove  her  to  Trianon  with  her." 
Dangeau  mentions  all  the  supper-parties.  For  in- 
stance: "There  was  a  fete  at  Trianon,  where  four 
tables  were  laid:  the  walking  and  dancing  went  on 
for  a  long  time."  And  another  day:  "The  King 
entertained  Madame  la  Dauphine  and  the  ladies  at 
supper  at  Trianon.  After  supper  he  walked  on  the 
terraces." 

The  King  enjoyed  being  at  Trianon  very  much. 
Everything  in  the  place  was  his  own  work,  and  no 
one's  imagination  had  been  beforehand  with  him 
there.  The  Grand  Canal  had  been  completed,  and 
its  right  arm  extended  to  the  gardens  and  to  the 
rising  ground  where  the  "  house  of  porcelain  "  stood. 

[334] 


THE  GRAND  TRIANON 

This  made  it  possible  to  make  expeditions  on  the 
water,  and  increased  the  charm  of  the  spot.  But  the 
King  would  have  liked  to  be  able  to  sleep  there,  and 
Spend  several  days  in  the  place.  There  was  no  room 
for  this,  and  none  of  the  arrangements  were  suitable. 
He  decided,  therefore,  to  do  away  with  the  pavilions, 
and  instructed  Mansart  to  build  him,  on  the  same 
site,  a  really  habitable  place. 

To  this  ostensible  reason  for  the  King's  resolu- 
tion we  may  add  another  less  open  one,  of  a  more 
intimate  nature.  The  porcelain  Trianon  had  been 
built  for  Madame  de  Montespan,  and  all  Versailles 
knew  it.  The  King  could  not  help  thinking  of  this 
fact,  and  being  reminded  of  his  mistress  in  every 
corner  of  the  little  house,  in  the  ornaments  that  re- 
flected her  taste,  and  in  the  dainty  luxury  that  had 
fulfilled  her  wishes.  Now,  in  1687,  Madame  de 
Montespan  was  no  longer  at  Court,  and  was,  more- 
over, very  far  from  the  heart  of  the  King.  Queen 
Marie-Therese  was  dead,  and  Louis  XIV.  was  en- 
tering upon  a  new  life.  The  monarch's  passions 
were  growing  weaker  and,  influenced  by  his  mor- 
ganatic wife,  Madame  de  Maintenon,  he  was  turn- 
ing to  die  practices  of  religion.  Was  it  to  please 
the  Marquise,  in  her  jealousy  of  the  past,  that  he 
destroyed  the  first  Trianon?  It  is  very  possible;  and 
moreover  he  himself  was  assuredly  anxious  to  de- 

[335] 


VERSAILLES 

stroy  a  monument  raised  in  honour  of  his  former 
follies. 

In  the  building  of  the  new  chateau,  in  which 
Trianon  was  to  take  its  final  form,  Francois  Man- 
sart  was  employed,  with  his  usual  collaborator 
Robert  de  Cotte.  To  Robert  de  Cotte  is  attrib- 
uted the  glazed  peristyle  in  the  Italian  style  which 
unites  the  two  wings  of  the  present  palace.  The 
sculptors  of  Versailles  were  despatched  to  Trianon, 
where  they  worked  for  two  years.  The  decora- 
tions executed  by  these  ingenious  artists  have  now 
almost  entirely  disappeared.  After  the  Revolution 
the  most  beautiful  portions  of  them  were  allowed  to 
perish,  more  particularly  the  statues,  the  groups,  and 
the  vases  that  surmounted  the  balustrade  of  the  cor- 
nice with  such  a  harmonious  effect.  The  balustrade 
has  now  rather  a  bare  appearance. 

The  two  principal  suites  of  rooms  were  those  of 
the  King  and  the  Dauphin,  which  were  separated 
by  the  great  peristyle.  There  was  a  chapel  and  a 
little  theatre.  A  long  gallery,  projecting  towards 
the  gardens,  served  as  a  hall  for  entertainments ;  an- 
other body  of  buildings  joined  it  at  right  angles  and 
contained  rooms  for  such  members  of  the  Court  as 
were  invited  as  guests:  this  was  the  part  known  as 
Trianon-sous-Bois,  on  account  of  the  trees  by  which 
it  has  always  been  surrounded.  This  addition  is 

[336] 


THE   GRAND  TRIANON 

of  later  date  than  the  original  plan,  but  is  also  due 
to  Louis  XIV. 

The  King  went  from  time  to  time  to  inspect  the 
progress  of  the  work.  In  November,  1687,  at  the 
end  of  the  annual  visit  of  the  Court  to  Fontainebleau, 
he  started  in  the  morning,  dined  on  the  way,  and 
arrived  at  Versailles  at  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon. 
His  first  care  was  to  assure  himself  that  the  work  at 
Trianon  had  been  progressing  well  during  his  ab- 
sence. Taking  with  him  Madame  de  Maintenon 
and  Madame  de  Montchevreuil  he  went  to  visit  his 
building  operations,  in  which  he  saw  a  great  ad- 
vance. The  architects  and  workmen  were  much  en- 
couraged by  his  presence.  During  the  two  months 
that  followed  his  return  he  visited  the  place  several 
times  a  week,  and  when  he  went  to  dine  at  Marly  he 
always  returned  by  way  of  Trianon.  At  last  in  Jan- 
uary, 1688,  he  dined  in  the  new  palace  in  the  com- 
pany of  the  "Grand  Dauphin,"  Madame  de  Main- 
tenon,  and  some  of  her  friends,  namely  Mesdames 
de  Noailles,  de  Montchevreuil,  de  Saint-Geran,  de 
Mailly,  and  de  Guiche.  In  February  there  was  an- 
other dinner  and  other  guests,  "  Mesdames  de  Main- 
tenon,  Princesse  d'Harcourt,  de  Chevreuse,  de  Beau- 
villiers,  Comtesse  de  Gramont,  de  Mailly  and  de 
Dangeau.  After  dinner  the  King  wished  to  watch 
all  the  ladies  working,  and  from  time  to  time  he 

[339] 


VERSAILLES 

walked  with  them  about  his  new  house,  and  gave 
orders  for  its  embellishment."  In  the  details  given 
by  Dangeau  we  see  here  a  pleasant  side  of  Louis 
XIV.,  with  the  little  airs  he  assumed  as  a  proprietor 
and  builder. 

Trianon  was  completely  finished  by  the  end  of 
1688;  it  was  even  entirely  furnished  and  ready  to 
be  occupied.  Nothing  had  been  neglected  that 
could  efface  the  memory  of  the  marvellous  little 
building  that  had  been  destroyed.  The  sculptors 
had  been  followed  by  the  painters,  Le  Brun,  Alle- 
grain,  Mignard;  the  Coypels  had  painted  the  panels 
for  the  rooms,  and  in  his  the  Dauphin  had  placed 
four  landscapes  by  Claude  Lorrain,  which  are  now 
in  the  Museum  of  the  Louvre  among  the  best  ex- 
amples of  that  master's  work.  All  the  furniture 
was  covered  with  crimson  damask  brocaded  with 
gold:  marble  appeared  everywhere,  and  as  for  the 
general  effect,  Saint-Simon,  hostile  as  he  always  is 
to  Louis  XIV.'s  buildings,  cannot  forbear  describ- 
ing Trianon  as  "a  palace  of  marble,  of  jasper,  of 
porphyry,  with  delicious  gardens." 

This  charming  spot  soon  became  an  object  for 
constant  expeditions  on  the  part  of  the  King,  who 
sometimes  slept  there,  and  remained  for  several  con- 
secutive days.  Apartments  were  assigned  to  all  the 
royal  family.  Those  of  Madame  de  Maintenon  ad- 
[340] 


THE   GRAND  TRIANON 

joined  those  of  Louis  XIV.,  who  was  able  to  see  her 
more  conviently  than  at  Versailles:  here,  as  at  Marly 
and  Fontainebleau,  he  indulged  in  the  pleasure  of 
long  visits  in  the  morning,  which  were  for  him,  more 
than  for  her,  the  happiest  moments  of  the  day.  At 
Trianon  he  gave  himself  a  rest  from  the  restraints 
of  etiquette,  from  receiving  ambassadors,  from  the 
public  dinner  and  the  private  lever,  from  the  thou- 
sand details  in  the  business  of  being  a  King,  which 
did  not  really  weary  him,  but  made  him  conscious 
of  the  pleasures  of  repose.  He  gladly  changed  the 
large  palace  for  the  little  one,  which  was,  as  it  were, 
his  country  house.  "  He  tasted  there  the  joys  of 
seeing  the  trees  pruned  under  his  eyes,  and  of  living 
like  a  simple  country  gentleman." 

For  Trianon  was  not  a  residence  of  the  Court 
like  Marly  or  Fontainebleau;  the  King's  visits  there, 
whether  they  only  lasted  for  an  afternoon  or  for 
several  days,  were  always  unceremonious;  if  he  took 
any  one  with  him  it  was  some  one  he  liked.  "  The 
King  often  dines  at  Trianon,"  writes  Dangeau,  "  and 
as  a  rule  takes  with  him  Madame  la  Duchesse  (de 
Bourgogne),  Madame  la  Princesse  de  Conti,  and 
the  ladies;  the  courtiers  do  not  go."  The  King, 
who  loved  to  surround  himself  with  women,  him- 
self selected  the  privileged  ones.  They  always  went 
without  their  husbands,  and  when  the  King  wished 

[341] 


VERSAILLES 

to  mark  his  displeasure  with  the  Due  de  Saint-Simon 
he  took  to  inviting  the  latter's  wife  regularly  to  Tri- 
anon and  never  to  Marly,  because  the  husbands  ac- 
companied their  wives  to  Marly  as  a  matter  of  right. 
During  this  period  then,  the  Due  was  unable  to  go 
anywhere,  and  the  King  contrived  to  load  Madame 
de  Saint-Simon  with  favours,  since  she  had  done 
nothing  amiss. 

It  is  easy  to  believe  that  these  invitations  were 
much  coveted  in  the  feminine  world  of  Versailles. 
It  was  considered  even  more  desirable  to  be  included 
in  the  invitations  to  Trianon  than  to  take  part  in  an 
expedition  to  Marly.  As  was  only  natural,  the 
choice  fell  most  frequently  on  Madame  de  Main- 
tenon's  friends,  Mesdames  d'Heudicourt,  de  Roche- 
fort,  d'O,  de  Maulevrier,  de  Montchevreuil,  de 
Saint-Geran,  de  Levis,  de  Chevreuse,  and  de  Dan- 
geau.  The  conscientious  chronicler  of  these  details 
of  Court  history  never  omits  to  record  the  names  of 
the  ladies  invited,  and  every  time  that  he  is  able  to 
mention  Madame  de  Dangeau  it  is  obvious  that  this 
flattered  husband  takes  as  much  pleasure  in  the  fact 
as  the  King  no  doubt  took  in  the  society  of  the  pretty 
Marquise. 

On  summer  days  when  no  council  was  held  and 
the  morning  was  therefore  free,  the  King,  after 
Mass,  started  for  Trianon  with  the  ladies,  and  dined 

[342] 


THE   GRAND  TRIANON 

there.  Dinner  was  at  one  o'clock,  as  at  Versailles. 
After  dinner  the  minister  arrived  who  was  to  work 
with  the  King.  They  were  shut  up  for  an  hour  or 
more,  according  to  the  amount  of  work  there  was 
to  be  done.  The  whole  of  the  rest  of  the  afternoon 
was  consecrated  to  the  chase,  to  walking  about  the 
place,  and  to  games,  such  as  the  dial  of  the  turning 
ring,  portico,  and  billiards.  The  King  often  ar- 
ranged a  lottery  for  pieces  of  stuff,  lace,  silver,  and 
jewelry  of  more  or  less  value.  This  was  a  deli- 
cate attention  to  the  ladies.  They  all  drew,  includ- 
ing Madame  de  Maintenon,  but  she  immediately 
gave  away  her  winnings.  The  King  did  not  draw, 
but  he  took  great  pleasure  in  the  agreeable  surprises 
he  had  prepared  for  others.  The  ladies  nearly  al- 
ways went  down  to  the  edge  of  the  canal,  where  a 
portion  of  the  flotilla  was  stationed.  A  short  time 
was  then  spent  on  the  water,  where  violins  played 
the  airs  of  Lulli ;  and  at  eight  o'clock  there  was  music 
or  a  play  in  the  little  theatre.  The  day  ended  with 
a  supper  served  under  the  peristyle,  within  view  of 
those  beautiful  gardens,  which  became  more  fra- 
grant than  ever  in  the  evening  air. 

Towards  the  end  of  his  life,  however,  Louis  XIV. 
allowed  his  favourite  retreat  to  be  invaded  by  the 
crowd  of  courtiers  from  Versailles.  Let  us  hear 
Saint-Simon  on  the  subject:  "  I  remember  that  one 

[343] 


VERSAILLES 

summer  the  King  took  to  going  very  often  to  Tri- 
anon, and  gave  permission,  once  for  all,  to  the  whole 
Court,  men  and  women  alike,  to  follow  him  thither; 
he  gave  a  great  banquet  there  for  the  princesses,  his 
daughters,  who  took  their  friends  there,  and  other 
women  came  there  freely  also  whenever  they  wished. 
.  .  .  Nothing  could  be  more  magnificent  than 
these  evenings  at  Trianon.  The  flowers  in  every 
division  of  the  flower-beds  were  changed  every  day, 
and  I  have  seen  the  King  and  Court  leave  the  garden 
on  account  of  the  excessive  number  of  tuberoses,  of 
which  the  scent  made  the  air  fragrant,  but  was  so 
strong  on  account  of  their  numbers  that  no  one  could 
stay  in  the  gardens,  although  they  were  of  vast  size 
and  were  arranged  in  terraces  on  an  arm  of  the 
canal." 

Very  important  fetes  were  given  there,  and  could 
bear  comparison  with  those  of  Versailles.  On  the 
occasion  of  the  return  of  the  Grand  Dauphin,  who 
had  taken  part  in  the  capture  of  Philipsbourg,  a 
grand  ballet  was  performed  at  Trianon  by  the 
ladies  of  the  Court.  The  rehearsals  for  it  con- 
tinued through  several  weeks.  The  ballet  took 
place  before  the  King  on  January  5,  1689,  and  was 
performed  on  several  occasions  afterwards.  The 
details  of  this  fete  are  recorded.  At  three  o'clock 
the  King,  the  Grand  Dauphin,  and  the  princesses 

[344] 


THE   GRAND  TRIANON 

repaired  to  Trianon.  Shortly  afterwards  the  King 
and  Queen  of  England  arrived.  James  II.  and  his 
wife  had  just  lost  their  throne,  and  were  beginning 
their  precarious  life  at  the  Court  of  France,  the  sad 
life  of  kings  in  exile.  Louis  XIV.  did  the  honours 
of  the  palace,  and  showed  it  to  them  in  detail:  the 
courteous  guests  were  full  of  admiration.  The  in- 
spection over,  the  Queen  began  to  play  cards  with 
Mesdames  de  Ventadour  and  d'Epinoy,  while  the 
two  kings  conversed  for  a  long  time.  The  usurpa- 
tion of  the  Prince  of  Orange,  schemes  for  a  restora- 
tion, and  the  news  of  the  continental  war  were  the 
topics  of  conversation.  They  were  interrupted  by 
the  arrival  of  a  note  from  M.  de  Louvois,  with  the 
information  that  the  Elector  of  Bavaria  was  ap- 
proaching Heidelberg.  At  half-past  five  Madame 
la  Dauphine  arrived,  and  the  ballet  began.  The 
Kings  and  the  Queen  of  England  were  in  the  gallery 
with  some  ladies.  The  ballet  was  a  great  success: 
it  was  called  the  Palace  of  Flora,  and  the  performers 
represented  naiads  and  sylvan  gods,  and  heroes  and 
heroines  of  antiquity,  who  came  to  share  in  the  re- 
joicings at  the  return  of  Monsiegneur  le  Dauphin, 
and  to  celebrate  the  victories  won  by  the  king  and  his 
son. 

From    the   theatre   of   the   Grand  Trianon    our 
thoughts  pass  naturally  to  the  much  more  famous 

[347] 


VERSAILLES 

theatre  of  Marie  Antoinette.  On  its  little  stage 
were  represented  several  of  the  fashionable  operas 
that  were  being  given  in  Paris.  All  the  musicians 
and  dancers  came  from  Paris  with  their  costumes. 
These  performances  always  took  place  en  grand 
particulier,  to  use  the  expression  common  at  the 
time;  that  is  to  say,  before  a  very  limited  audience. 
The  King  generally  sat  in  the  gallery  with  a  few 
companions.  As  a  rule,  as  soon  as  the  ladies  were 
seated,  refreshments  were  handed  round  in  baskets, 
and  then  the  opera  began. 

Of  all  the  women  who  visited  Trianon  the  young 
Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  most  deserves  to  have  her 
memory  associated  with  it.  The  charming  part  she 
played  in  history  is  well  known.  Marie  Adelaide 
of  Savoy  arrived  in  France  when  she  was  but  eleven 
years  old,  and  thus  became  French  at  a  very  early 
age,  and  her  spirits  and  gaiety  brought  a  little  bright- 
ness into  the  melancholy  old  age  of  Louis  XIV.  She 
charms  us  to-day  as  she  charmed  the  King — the  King 
whose  many  disillusionments  had  made  him  sad  in 
his  latter  days.  The  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  was 
the  spoilt  child,  not  only  of  the  Court  of  Versailles, 
but  also  of  the  Grand  Roi.  Saint-Simon  informs  us 
that  "  he  placed  his  affections  more  and  more  on  the 
princess,  who  merited  them  by  a  degree  of  thought- 
fulness,  tact,  and  charm  beyond  her  years." 

[348] 


THE  GRAND  TRIANON 

Trianon  pleased  the  Duchesse,  and  the  King  had 
a  suite  of  rooms  instantly  prepared  for  her.  He 
himself  took  care  that  everything  in  them  was  at- 
tractive and  well  arranged,  and  in  the  details  of  these 
preparations  he  showed  all  the  tenderness  of  a  grand- 
father. The  room  he  had  destined  for  his  grandson 
was  the  one  that  is  now  called  the  Salon  Frais,  at 
the  end  of  his  own  suite  of  rooms.  This  salon  over- 
looked the  Jardln  des  Sources,  and  the  surrounding 
trees  and  brooks  kept  it  always  cool.  Here  the 
Duchesse  established  herself  during  the  summer  of 
1699,  for  she  had  conceived  a  great  affection  for  Tria- 
non. Her  husband,  Fenelon's  pupil,  the  studious  Due 
de  Bourgogne,  had  composed  as  a  school-room  exer- 
cise a  fine  eulogy  of  Trianon  in  Latin  verses,  in  which 
he  had  compared  it  to  Baiae,  Tibur,  Tempe,  and  all 
the  beautiful  places  sung  by  the  classical  poets.  The 
Dauphine  paid  it  a  still  greater  compliment,  in  that 
she  chose  to  live  in  it  from  time  to  time.  She  pro- 
longed her  visit  there,  even  after  the  King  had  re- 
turned to  Versailles.  It  was  her  garden  and  her 
palace;  she  gave  fetes  and  gathered  her  little  Court 
round  her  there. 

It  was  but  natural  that  this  princess,  whom,  all 

the  portrait-painters  represented  with  flowers  in  her 

hand,  should  be  charmed  by  the  countless  flowers  of 

the  beds  and  borders  of  Trianon.     There  were  other 

[349] 


VERSAILLES 

attractions  to  bind  her  to  the  place :  the  King,  know- 
ing her  weakness  for  the  game  of  mall,  had  made  a 
ground  where  she  and  her  ladies  might  play  it.  She 
had  also  a  pleasure  of  a  less  innocent  kind  in  lans- 
quenet, a  game  that  was  already  the  chief  amusement 
of  the  Court,  and  was  to  become  in  the  next  century 
a  positive  passion. 

This  was  the  darling  sin  of  the  little  Duchesse, 
and  a  cause  of  continual  relapses,  for  which  she 
humbly  expressed  contrition  to  her  "  dear  aunt," 
as  she  called  Madame  de  Maintenon;  and  no  doubt 
it  was  from  Trianon  that  she  wrote  to  her:  "I  am 
quite  determined  to  mend  my  ways  and  to  play  no 
more  at  that  wretched  game,  which  only  injures  my 
reputation  and  weakens  your  affection,  which  is  more 
precious  to  me  than  all.  ...  I  flatter  myself 
that  my  age  is  not  yet  so  advanced,  nor  my  reputation 
so  much  tarnished,  that  I  shall  be  unable  to  succeed 
with  time." 

This  lovely  princess  had  a  whole  circle  of  young 
women  about  her;  and  when  the  Court  was  at  Ver- 
sailles the  usual  meeting-places  of  this  joyous  band 
were  Trianon  and  the  Menagerie.  The  Menagerie 
was  at  the  other  end  of  the  Canal,  and  contained  ani- 
mals of  the  rarest  descriptions.  There  was  a  little 
chateau  there,  filled  with  the  most  exquisite  furni- 
ture, and  this  had  been  given  to  the  Duchesse  de 

[350] 


THE   GRAND  TRIANON 

Bourgogne  by  the  King.  She  had  a  dairy  there,  and 
a  poultry-yard,  and  all  her  little  rural  activities; 
very  similar  to  those  of  a  later  day  at  Trianon,  in 
Marie  Antoinette's  time.  There  was  constant  inter- 
course between  the  two  houses,  a  constant  passing  to 
and  fro  of  gondolas  and  boats  on  the  two  arms  of  the 
Canal.  The  Menagerie  has  been  entirely  destroyed, 
and  replaced  by  an  uninteresting  farm:  the  impor- 
tant collection  of  animals  it  contained  was  made  into 
the  nucleus,  towards  the  end  of  the  eighteenth  cen- 
tury, of  the  Jardin  des  Plantes  in  Paris. 

The  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne,  who  was  indefatiga- 
ble in  the  pursuit  of  pleasure,  organised  the  fetes 
for  the  Carnival  of  1702,  which  were  very  gay,  and 
recalled  the  best  years  of  the  old  Court.  Trianon 
was  the  scene  of  them  all,  as  we  learn  from  the  Mer- 
cure  Galant,  which  gives  every  detail  of  the  incidents 
of  each  day. 

On  Shrove  Sunday  the  King,  having  held  a  coun- 
cil in  the  afternoon,  left  Versailles  at  half-past  five 
for  Trianon.  Madame  la  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne 
arrived  there  a  few  moments  earlier,  "  dressed  as  a 
Spanish  lady."  Two  new  plays  were  represented, 
and  the  King  watched  them  from  the  gallery  with 
Madame  la  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  beside  him. 
Monseigneur,  the  princesses,  and  the  princes  were 
below  in  the  body  of  the  theatre.  After  the  play  a 

[353] 


VERSAILLES 

great  number  of  ladies  remained,  who  had  been 
invited  to  the  supper;  they  were  all  magnificently 
dressed  in  gold  and  silver  stuffs.  The  two  great 
tables  were  filled;  those,  that  is  to  say,  of  the  King 
and  Monseigneur.  On  leaving  the  table  His  Maj- 
esty, followed  by  the  whole  Court,  proceeded  to  the 
salon  at  the  end  of  the  gallery,  and  there  played  at 
portique.  The  King  passed  the  night  at  Trianon. 

On  the  following  day,  Monday,  the  party  returned 
thither,  for  the  little  Duchess  wished  to  dine  there 
with  the  King.  Although  the  weather  was  bad  she 
went  into  the  garden  with  him  after  dinner,  to  see  one 
of  the  new  fountains  that  were  so  constantly  being  set 
up  there.  At  about  four  o'clock  the  ladies  arrived 
to  hear  the  opera  of  Omphale.  Destouches,  the 
composer  of  the  music,  was  in  the  hall,  and  after 
the  performance  was  complimented  by  the  King. 

The  princess  returned  the  next  day  for  dinner,  for 
the  King  really  could  not  exist  without  her.  She 
then  went  back  to  Versailles  to  dress  for  the  ball  in 
the  evening,  and  meanwhile  the  King  drove  for  two 
hours,  till  the  arrival  of  the  ladies  who  were  invited. 
The  ball  began  at  half-past  ten.  The  orchestra  had 
been  cleared  away  from  the  theatre,  which  had  thus 
been  transformed  into  a  ballroom.  The  ladies  who 
danced  were,  in  addition  to  the  Duchesse  de  Bour- 
gogne,  Madame  la  Duchesse,  Madame  de  Melun, 

[354] 


THE   GRAND  TRIANON 

Madame  de  la  Vrilliere,  the  Comtesse  d'Ayen,  the 
Duchesse  de  Lauzun,  the  Comtesse  d'Estrees,  and 
were  "  all  magnificently  dressed  in  Spanish  cos- 
tumes." The  other  ladies  were  Mesdemoiselles 
d'Armagnac,  d'Elbeuf,  de  Saint-Simon,  de  Souvre, 
d'Albret,  de  Chaumont,  de  Ravetot,  and  du  Maretz. 
We  will  omit  the  names  of  the  gentlemen  who  took 
part  in  the  dances,  which  were  opened  by  the  Due 
de  Berri,  the  Due  d'Orleans,  and  the  Comte  de 
Toulouse;  and  on  this  occasion  the  Due  de  Saint- 
Simon  was  present.  By  the  King's  desire  his  daugh- 
ter, the  Princesse  de  Conti,  remained  with  him  in 
the  gallery.  The  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  had  been 
unanimously  proclaimed  Queen  of  the  Fete. 

Another  princess,  very  different  to  the  pretty 
Duchesse  de  Bourgogne,  had  set  all  her  affections 
on  Trianon :  the  daughter  of  the  Elector  Palatine — 
as  witty  as  she  was  malicious — who  had  married 
Monsieur,  Due  d'Orleans  and  brother  of  the  King. 
She  was  then  called  Madame,  but  now  she,  is  usually 
known  as  La  Palatine.  "  There  was  much  more  of 
the  man  in  her  than  of  the  woman;  she  was  strong, 
brave,  German  to  the  last  degree,  .  .  .  un- 
sociable, always  writing  by  herself,  hard,  rough, 
quick  to  take  dislikes,  with  a  thousand  twists  in  her 
mind,  yet  not  at  all  wanting  in  mind,  with  the  face 
and  churlishness  of  a  Swiss,  yet  capable  withal  of 

[355] 


VERSAILLES 

a  tender  and  persistent  friendship."  Such  was  the 
mother  of  the  Regent,  according  to  Saint-Simon,  the 
painter  of  this  portrait,  which  is  as  convincing  in  its 
own  way  as  that  of  Rigaud.  The  princess,  who  at- 
tracted people  by  her  originality,  repelled  them  by 
her  ungraciousness.  This  being  her  nature  "  the 
Palatine "  was  terribly  home-sick  at  the  Court  of 
France ;  she  was  never  reconciled  to  what  she  called 
her  exile.  Her  letters  from  Versailles  were  full  of 
bitter  judgments,  prejudices,  and  exaggerated  cyni- 
cism ;  they  were  coarse,  and  indifferent  to  all  men  and 
all  things.  She  was  even  wearied  by  places;  the 
Palace  of  Versailles  seemed  to  her  monotonous  and 
cold,  and  she  was  not  at  all  dazzled  by  the  royal 
magnificence.  One  thing  alone  pleased  her,  the 
gardens.  She  often  walked  in  them  quite  alone,  and 
the  King  was  flattered  by  his  sister-in-law's  admira- 
tion for  the  Great  Park  and  the  gardens,  for  his  cour- 
tiers had  very  little  taste  in  that  direction.  "  No 
one  but  you,  Madame,"  said  Louis  XIV.  to  her, 
"  takes  any  pleasure  in  the  beauties  of  Versailles." 
She  also  liked  Trianon,  which  apparently  was  spared 
by  her  piteous  mockery,  and  of  which  she  often 
spoke. 

Among  those  who  frequented  Trianon,  we  must 
not  forget  the  natural  daughters  of  Louis  XIV.,  that 
pretty  bevy  of  Princesses  of  the  Blood  who  accom- 

[356] 


THE  GRAND  TRIANON 

panied  him  on  his  expeditions,  and  sometimes  tem- 
pered the  etiquette  and  the  stiff  formality  of  the 
Court  with  the  giddiness  of  their  twenty  years. 
They  were  (to  give  them  their  married  names)  the 
Duchesse  de  Bourbon,  wife  of  the  great  Conde's 
grandson,  the  Duchesse  de  Chartres,  wife  of  the  fu- 
ture Regent,  and  the  clever  and  charming  Princesse 
de  Conti,  eldest  of  the  three.  The  King  loved  them 
to  the  point  of  weakness,  as  though  he  felt  he  owed 
them  reparation.  The  two  former  were  the  daugh- 
ters of  Madame  de  Montespan,  who  had  won  the 
King's  heart  from  the  gentle  Duchesse  de  la  Val- 
liere,  the  mother  of  the  Princesse  de  Conti. 

The  liberty  and  gaiety  of  Trianon  amused  the 
princesses  greatly,  after  their  marriage  as  before. 
They  were  even  tempted  to  take  advantage  of  their 
liberty,  if  we  may  believe  an  anecdote  recorded  by 
Dangeau  and  Saint-Simon  concerning  an  incident 
that  created  some  scandal  at  the  time.  The  three 
sisters  frequently  went  out  in  the  night,  when  every 
one  was  asleep,  and  walked  in  the  gardens  together. 
One  night  the  Duchesse  de  Chartres  was  mischiev- 
ous enough  to  let  off  some  crackers  under  the  win- 
dows of  Monsieur,  the  King's  brother  and  her  own 
father-in-law.  The  King,  it  appears,  was  in  the  se- 
cret. The  crackers  exploded,  Monsieur  awoke  with 
a  start,  and  guessed  the  authors  of  the  mischief, 

[357] 


VERSAILLES 

whose  dresses  were  fluttering  behind  the  trees.  The 
next  day  he  complained  to  the  King,  who  was  obliged 
to  make  excuses  "  for  the  princesses  and  himself." 

It  was  at  Trianon  that  Louis  XIV.  in  1695,  at  &Q 
time  when  the  Due  de  Bourgogne  came  of  age,  said 
to  the  courtiers  round  him :  "  We  need  have  no  fear 
of  a  minority  in  France;  since  the  founding  of  the 
monarchy  there  have  never  been  seen  at  one  time  a 
grandfather,  a  father,  and  a  son  of  an  age  to  govern 
the  kingdom."  We  know  how  far  this  prophecy  was 
justified;  the  Grand  Dauphin  died  in  1711,  the  Due 
de  Bourgogne  in  1712,  and  the  grandfather  was  the 
last  to  go,  in  1715,  leaving  the  throne  to  a  child 
five  years  old,  Louis  XV.,  son  of  the  Due  de 
Bourgogne. 

With  Louis  XIV.  the  brilliant  history  of  the 
Grand  Trianon  came  to  an  end.  Under  the  Regency 
Trianon  and  Versailles  were  alike  deserted.  There 
is  but  one  prominent  event  worth  noting:  the  visit 
paid  by  Peter  the  Great  in  1717,  during  his  so- 
journ in  France.  The  most  interesting  details  of 
his  travels  are  those  that  show  us  the  inglorious  side 
of  the  man  whom  La  Palatine  called  "her  hero." 
This  is  what  we  hear  of  his  visit  to  Trianon !  "  The 
Czar,  being  at  Versailles  and  Trianon,  sent  for  six- 
teen musicians  who  entertained  him  for  four  days, 
especially  in  the  evening,  until  three  or  four  o'clock 

[358] 


THE  GRAND  TRIANON 

in  the  morning:  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  sent 
them  back  to  Paris,  without  having  paid  them  any- 
thing. At  the  Menagerie,  after  having  seen  every- 
thing of  interest,  he  gave  twenty-five  sols  to  the  turn- 
cock, who,  overwhelmed  by  this  largesse,  regretted 
that  he  had  not  given  him  a  good  wetting  while 
making  the  fountains  play."  The  Czar  fell  ill  at 
Trianon,  and  the  indiscreet  chronicler  does  not  leave 
us  in  ignorance  of  the  cause :  "  It  was  necessary  to 
consult  the  disciples  of  Hippocrates,  who  proceeded 
in  a  diligence  to  Trianon,  that  delicious  spot  so  full 
of  charm,  where  Cupid  had  triumphed  so  often, 
and  had  now  laid  low  one  of  the  greatest  princes 
of  the  world  in  the  person  of  the  Czar,  and  his  travel- 
ling companion.  These  experts  having  paid  their 
visit,  one  of  them  declared  that  he  would  not  under- 
take a  cure  for  less  than  four  hundred  pistoles. 
.  .  .  Which  greatly  alarmed  the  prince." 

One  day  little  Louis  XV.  said  to  the  Marshal  de 
Villeroy:  "My  uncle,  the  Regent,  always  makes 
me  go  to  Saint-Cloud  or  Vincennes;  how  is  it  that 
he  does  not  take  me  to  Versailles  and  Trianon?  I 
do  love  Trianon ! "  The  Court  at  last  returned  to 
Versailles,  where  the  royal  excursions  and  hunts 
went  on  as  before;  but  Trianon  was  forsaken  from 
that  time  forward,  and  only  occupied  at  rare  inter- 
vals, as,  for  example,  by  Stanislas  Leczinski,  ex- King 


VERSAILLES 

of  Poland,  when  he  came  to  visit  his  daughter,  the 
young  Queen  Marie  Leczinska,  wife  of  Louis  XV. 
Perhaps  on  account  of  this  association  Trianon 
seemed  to  please  the  Queen,  and  the  King  gave  it 
to  her  in  1741.  She  would  no  doubt  have  preferred 
an  increase  of  tenderness  on  the  part  of  her  royal 
husband,  who  was  then  beginning  to  neglect  her. 

The  Duchesse  de  Chateauroux  soon  gained  an 
ascendency  over  the  heart  of  the  King,  in  whose 
affections  she  succeeded  her  sister,  the  Comtesse  de 
Mailly.  She  behaved  with  such  haughtiness  that 
she  made  numerous  enemies,  and  she  had  a  melan- 
choly end.  After  being  driven  from  the  King's  side 
at  Metz,  where  His  Majesty  had  fallen  ill,  she  was 
recalled  to  the  Court  as  soon  as  Louis  XV.  felt  him- 
self out  of  danger.  Soon  afterwards,  those  who  had 
reminded  him,  when  death  was  near,  of  his  duty  as 
a  King  and  as  a  Christian,  were  sacrificed  to  the 
resentment  of  his  mistress.  Suddenly,  in  her  house 
in  the  Rue  du  Bac,  where  in  her  recovered  pros- 
perity she  was  cherishing  schemes  of  vengeance,  the 
favourite  died  without  warning.  When  the  King 
heard  of  this  catastrophe,  being  ashamed  of  his  futile 
weakness  and  distressed  by  his  unexpected  loss,  he 
went  to  hide  his  sorrow,  which  only  increased  the 
scandal,  from  his  prying  courtiers,  and  took  refuge 
at  Trianon.  In  spite  of  the  time  of  the  year,  which 

[362] 


THE  GRAND  TRIANON 

was  December,  he  shut  himself  up  there,  with  no 
companions  but  some  ladies  who  had  been  the 
Duchess's  friends.  They  declared  that  they  saw 
him  weep. 

Thanks  to  Madame  de  Pompadour  Trianon  re- 
ceived a  fresh  lease  of  life.  In  1749  a  complete 
dairy,  some  poultry,  and  some  aviaries  were  estab- 
lished there  to  amuse  the  King.  Louis  XV.  was 
entertained  by  them  for  some  time,  and  took  an  in- 
terest in  the  Marquise's  fowls;  then  he  grew  tired 
of  this  pursuit  as  of  every  other,  and  the  Due  d'Ayen 
persuaded  him  to  take  up  botany.  Trianon  was  the 
scene  chosen  for  this  study  also.  The  gardener, 
Claude  Richard,  prepared  for  Bernard  de  Jussieu 
his  famous  field  for  experiments,  and  thus  the  King's 
caprice  rendered  an  incalculable  service  to  the  cause 
of  science.  But  botany  wearied  him:  he  turned  his 
attention  to  building,  and  Gabriel  erected  for  him  a 
charming  octagonal  pavilion,  flanked  by  four  rooms 
"  for  conversation  and  cards."  This  pavilion  has 
quite  recently  been  restored.  And  soon,  in  the  new 
gardens  that  were  already  known  as  Le  Petit  Tri- 
anon, there  arose  the  new,  convenient,  and  elegant 
chateau,  which  was  inaugurated  by  the  Comtesse  du 
Barry,  and  where  Marie  Antoinette  was  soon  to  hold 
her  Court. 

From  that  time  forward  the  royal   favour  was 

[363] 


VERSAILLES 

chiefly  bestowed  on  Little  Trianon.  The  Grand 
Trianon  gradually  declined  in  historical  interest, 
which  none  but  Napoleon  could  revive.  During 
the  Revolution  the  botanical  garden  saved  the  two 
Trianons  from  the  fate  of  Marly,  which  was  entirely 
destroyed,  being  taken  to  pieces  bit  by  bit  till  nothing 
was  left  standing.  In  order  to  turn  the  collections 
contained  in  this  garden  to  the  best  account,  the  sale 
of  the  demesne — which  now  belonged  to  the  nation 
— was  postponed.  Later  on,  when  the  first  revolu- 
tionary fever  was  past,  the  interest  that  would  attach 
to  the  preservation  of  the  Trianons  was  understood 
by  those  in  authority.  Thus  they  escaped  being  sold, 
mutilated,  or  destroyed.  When  Napoleon  wished 
to  restore  the  old  demesne  of  Versailles,  he  found 
them  almost  intact.  The  Emperor  visited  them  for 
the  first  time  in  1805,  accompanied  by  the  Empress 
Josephine:  he  gave  orders  for  urgent  repairs,  for 
refurnishing  the  rooms,  and  replacing  the  glass  in 
the  peristyle,  where  it  still  exists.  The  two  parks 
were,  as  they  still  are,  separated  by  a  sunk  path.  He 
united  them  by  a  bridge. 

On  the  day  that  his  marriage  was  dissolved,  De- 
cember 1 6,  1809,  Napoleon  came  to  the  Grand  Tri- 
anon, where  he  spent  a  week,  while  Josephine,  for 
her  part,  retired  to  Malmaison.  The  imperial  hus- 
band tried  to  divert  his  thoughts  at  this  serious  June- 

[364] 


THE   BASIN  OF  LATONA 


THE  GRAND  TRIANON 

ture  of  his  life;  for  the  separation  from  the  woman 
he  undoubtedly  still  loved  caused  him  much  pain. 
He  hunted  the  stag  in  the  forest  of  Saint-Germain, 
and  went  shooting  in  the  woods  round  the  Canal. 
"  He  lives,"  said  an  eye-witness,  "  in  a  state  of 
unusual  agitation." 

Later  on  he  returned  several  times  to  Trianon 
with  the  Empress  Marie-Louise:  he  enjoyed  going 
over  there  from  Saint-Cloud,  and  he  collected  a  fine 
library  in  the  Salon  des  Sources,  which  was  pillaged 
by  the  Prussians  in  1815.  He  paid  visits  of  several 
weeks  in  the  years  1810,  1811,  and  1813,  to  these  little 
rooms  that  are  still  so  interesting  to  the  tourist,  who 
may  still  see  here  a  whole  collection  of  furniture 
dating  from  that  time.  Empire  writing-tables,  con- 
sole-tables, brackets,  and  even  clocks,  add  to  the 
beauty  of  the  harmonious  whole.  The  memory  of 
the  Emperor  gives  them  a  dignity  that  is  all  their 
own.  No  one  asks  how  these  rooms  were  furnished 
in  the  days  of  the  Trianon's  glory,  when  Madame  de 
Maintenon  lived  in  them.  In  the  rooms  where  Na- 
poleon worked,  the  rooms  that  he  made  for  a  while 
the  centre  of  the  government  of  his  Empire,  how  can 
we  think  of  any  one  but  him? 

Under  the  Restoration  Trianon  had  no  history. 
On  July  31,  1830,  after  the  Revolution  in  Paris  that 
put  an  end  to  the  "  legitimate  "  monarchy,  Charles 

[367] 


VERSAILLES 

X.,  formerly  the  Comte  d'Artois  and  the  sympathetic 
friend  of  Marie  Antoinette's  gaieties,  stopped  here 
for  a  few  hours  on  his  way  from  Saint-Cloud  to  Ram- 
bouillet  Louis  Philippe,  too,  on  February  24,  1848, 
when  he  in  turn  was  driven  from  the  throne  by  a  new 
Revolution,  halted  here  in  the  course  of  his  flight. 
It  would  seem  as  though  the  palace  built  by  the 
Grand  Roi  were  destined  to  watch  the  passing  of  the 
French  Kings  in  their  last  hour  of  kingship,  and  to 
shelter  them  for  a  moment  on  the  road  to  exile. 

The  Grand  Trianon  had  been  occupied  on  several 
occasions  by  Louis  Philippe  and  his  family.  To 
him  are  due  the  important  alterations  by  means  of 
which  the  ground-floor  was  made  sanitary.  The 
kitchens  and  offices  were  placed  in  the  basement,  and 
hot-water  pipes  were  established  everywhere.  The 
architect  Nepveu  was  more  successful  here  than  at 
Versailles;  it  is  true  that  the  gilding  of  the  panels 
was  discoloured  by  glue,  but  at  all  events  the  general 
character  of  the  palace  was  unchanged,  and  even  the 
original  arrangement  of  the  rooms  was  preserved. 

And  even  now  the  visitor,  by  a  considerable  mental 
effort,  may  imagine  himself  in  Louis  XIV.'s  Tria- 
non. Here  on  the  left  are  the  rooms  occupied  by 
the  Grand  Dauphin,  and  the  now  dismantled  Salon 
des  Glaces,  on  which  10,500  livres  were  spent  in 
mirrors  made  in  Paris  by  the  Venetian  method. 

[368] 


THE  GRAND  TRIANON 

Here  are  the  old  rooms  of  Louis  XIV.,  and  the  new 
ones  prepared  by  Napoleon  III.  for  the  use  of  Queen 
Victoria,  who  never  came  to  occupy  them.  Here 
we  pause  before  the  four  magnificent  pictures  of 
Boucher,  which  adorn  the  Salon  des  Glaces;  and 
here  we  enter  Madame  de  Maintenon's  little  rooms 
in  the  entresol.  These  rooms  are  the  most  con- 
venient and  the  most  home-like  of  all,  and  were 
occupied  successively  by  Louis  XV.,  Stanislas  Lec- 
zinski,  Madame  de  Pompadour,  and  finally  by 
Napoleon. 

This  list  of  names  is  an  epitome  of  the  whole  his- 
tory of  the  Palace.  Further  on,  at  the  end  of  the 
great  Gallery,  are  the  rooms  of  Trianon-sous-Bois, 
which  were  used  by  the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne 
and  La  Palatine.  This  was  the  prison  of  Marshal 
Bazaine  after  the  Franco-German  War,  in  1873, 
while  the  Council  of  War  by  which  he  was  tried  for 
treason  was  sitting  at  Trianon  itself,  in  the  great 
peristyle,  which  was  arranged  for  the  occasion  as  a 
court  of  justice. 

The  gardens  of  the  Grand  Trianon  arouse  ad- 
miration by  their  design  as  well  as  by  their  extent; 
and  their  partial  wildness  only  adds  to  their  dignity. 
Some  of  the  paths  laid  out  by  Le  Notre  are  covered 
with  grass.  We  seek  out  the  lonely  spots  that  were 
once  so  decorative,  the  Halls  of  Diana,  of  Zephyr, 

[369] 


VERSAILLES 

and  of  Flora,  and  the  rest.  Most  of  the  artificial 
waters  have  been  restored,  and  here  and  there  in 
the  middle  of  the  fountains  are  little  gilded  cupids 
lying  among  flowers  and  holding  baskets  on  the  sur- 
face of  the  water.  The  principal  basin,  known  as 
the  Plafond,  lies  in  front  of  the  chateau,  and  is 
guarded  by  marine  monsters.  But  the  chief  tri- 
umph of  art  in  the  gardens  is  the  Buffet,  built  by 
Mansart,  and  also  known  as  the  Cascade  of  Trianon. 
Three  high  steps  of  variously  coloured  marbles  are 
surmounted  by  gilded  figures  of  Neptune  and  Am- 
phitrite,  with  lions  standing  at  their  feet.  On  the 
middle  step  are  three  bas-reliefs,  also  gilded,  while 
the  lowest  one  is  decorated  with  four  masks  and  three 
vases  of  white  marble.  The  little  erection  stands  in 
a  basin  into  which  the  water  pours  bubbling  down 
from  the  summit  in  a  series  of  cascades.  It  is  charm- 
ingly ornamental,  and  has  a  very  rich  and  happy 
effect  even  when  there  is  no  water. 

The  park  of  Grand  Trianon  is  nearly  as  large 
in  itself  as  the  gardens  of  Versailles.  It  is  seldom 
visited,  and  it  is  possible  to  walk  in  it  for  hours  with- 
out meeting  any  one.  The  spot  that  is  most  often 
visited  is  the  brilliant  flower-garden,  whose  rich 
colours  blend  with  the  red  marble  of  the  facades. 
Beside  it  is  a  terrace  which  leads  down,  by  great 
slopes  arranged  in  the  shape  of  a  horse-shoe,  to  the 

[370] 


THE  GRAND  TRIANON 

edge  of  the  Grand  Canal.  This  is  the  end  of  the 
right  arm  of  the  Versailles  Canal.  Opposite  to  us, 
at  the  end  of  the  left  arm,  is  the  horse-shoe  in  front 
of  the  old  chateau  of  the  Menagerie.  Here  we  may 
picture  the  pretty  flotilla  of  the  Court  moving  gaily 
hither  and  thither;  the  boats,  with  their  fluttering 
flags,  passing  to  and  fro;  and  the  beautiful  women 
landing  at  the  wide  stone  steps,  which  we  may  still 
see  rising  from  the  water  to  lead  us  to  the  gardens 
of  Trianon. 


[371] 


THE   PETIT  TRIANON 

Petit  Trianon  is  more  famous  than  the 
Grand  Trianon.  This  is  because  it  is 
bound  up  with  the  memory  of  Queen 
Marie  Antoinette's  fate,  one  of  the  most 
dramatic  in  history.  We  feel  the  poignant  contrast 
between  this  delightful  dwelling,  this  charming  little 
chateau,  this  pleasant  spot  with  its  facilities  for  out- 
of-door  pursuits,  and  the  precincts  of  the  Temple 
Prison,  in  which  the  Chatelaine  of  Trianon  passed 
the  last  days  of  her  life. 

When,  having  passed  through  the  gate,  one  stands 
in  the  well  designed  and  proportioned  entrance-court, 
facing  the  three  storeys  of  the  little  square  chateau, 
one's  first  thought  is  for  the  Queen  who  made  this  her 
favourite  dwelling,  the  scene  of  her  simple  domestic 
pleasures,  and  so  often  came  here  to  rest  from  the 
agitations  and  fatigues  of  Versailles.  We  must  re- 
member, however,  that  Little  Trianon  existed  before 
the  days  of  Marie  Antoinette,  for  although  it  is  re- 

[372] 


THE   PETIT  TRIANON 

garded  as  the  most  finished  model  of  the  Louis-Seize 
style,  it  was  in  the  time  of  Louis  XV.  that  it  was  built. 
Madame  de  Pompadour's  architect  Gabriel  designed 
it,  and  began  to  build  it  in  1762,  while  the  Marquise 
was  still  alive.  She  had  conceived  the  idea  of  it  in 
order  to  give  the  King,  who  was  so  often  bored,  the 
interest  of  watching  the  building  operations  going  on 
under  his  eyes,  amid  the  farmyards,  the  homesteads, 
and  the  vast  botanical  gardens  that  he  had  already 
established  at  Trianon. 

',  The  building — carefully  finished  in  every  detail — 
was  not  completed  till  1768,  and  the  first  associations 
attached  to  it  are  concerned  with  Madame  du  Barry. 
She  much  enjoyed  walking  in  the  gardens ;  she  some- 
times came  here,  too,  to  have  supper  with  the  King 
and  some  of  their  mutual  friends,  and  these  supper- 
parties,  which  the  imagination  of  the  pamphleteers 
transformed  into  positive  orgies,  were,  on  the  con- 
trary, perfectly  decorous  and  marked  by  the  most 
tasteful  refinement. 

Louis  XV.  fell  ill  while  he  was  staying  at  Trianon 
in  the  spring  of  1774,  and  was  moved  to  Versailles, 
where  he  died.  The  young  Queen  Marie  Antionette 
asked  the  King  to  give  her  Trianon  for  a  country- 
house,  as  Louis  XV.  had  given  the  first  Trianon  to 
Marie  Leczinska. 

Marie    Antionette  disliked  the  restraints  of  the 

[373] 


VERSAILLES 

Court  and  the  bondage  of  etiquette:  she  longed  to 
emancipate  herself,  and  found  at  Trianon  the  means 
of  living  a  domestic  life  and,  like  a  simple  bour- 
geoise,  presiding  over  a  house  and  a  garden.  At  first 
she  merely  gathered  the  royal  family  round  her  here 
and  gave  them  little  entertainments  in  the  Orangery. 
In  the  afternoons  the  Queen  went  to  Trianon  at- 
tended only  by  two  or  three  ladies;  but  soon  she 
wearied  of  constantly  seeing  the  monotonous  plots  of 
botanical  specimens,  and  decided  to  move  the  whole 
collection  to  the  Jardin  des  Plantes  in  Paris,  and  to 
use  the  space  for  pleasure-grounds  in  the  new  style. 

The  French  style  of  garden  was  beginning  to  be 
replaced  by  the  English  style,  which  was  then  called 
Anglo-Chinese.  A  great  number  of  country  places 
and  Parisian  gardens  had  already  been  designed  in 
this  fashion,  which  corresponded  with  a  general 
change  in  taste.  Marie  Antoinette's  park  was  not 
the  first  in  France,  but  it  soon  became  the  most  per- 
fect model  of  that  style  of  park,  since  it  was  adorned 
unsparingly  with  everything  that  was  charming  and 
uncommon.  First  a  lake  was  formed,  and  some 
rivers  flowing  in  irregular  curves ;  then  an  artificial 
rock  and  some  alterations  in  the  lie  of  the  land  were 
ingeniously  arranged.  On  a  hill  that  dominated  the 
lake  a  belvedere  arose,  and  sculptors  and  painters 
vied  with  each  other  in  decorating  it  exquisitely.  On 

[374] 


THE   PETIT  TRIANON 

a  grassy  island  stood  a  light  cupola,  supported  by  a 
Corinthian  colonnade  and  surrounded  by  reeds;  this 
was  the  Temple  of  Love  where  Bouchardon's  statue 
was  placed:  Love  making  himself  a  bow  out  of  the 
club  of  Hercules. 

The  interior  of  the  chateau  is  still  very  much  as  it 
was  when  Marie  Antoinette  occupied  it.  The  stair- 
case, whose  walls  are  undecorated  except  for  some 
carving,  has  a  banister  of  wrought  iron  in  which, 
among  the  lyres  and  caducei,  Marie  Antoinette's 
cipher  was  placed.  On  the  left  side  of  the  landing  is 
a  door  leading  to  the  rooms  in  the  entresol  and  to  the 
staircase  of  the  second  floor,  where  the  rooms  of  the 
Queen's  guests  were  situated.  The  door  on  the  right 
leads  to  the  reception-rooms.  The  ante-chamber  is 
decorated  with  friezes  by  Natoire.  The  dining- 
room,  which  comes  next  in  order  and  has  friezes  by 
Pater,  is  remarkable  for  its  woodwork,  on  which  are 
carved  a  number  of  branches  laden  with  fruit,  horns 
of  plenty,  and  other  symbols  connected  with  the  uses 
of  the  room.  Here  we  see,  in  addition  to  the  full- 
length  portraits  of  Louis  XVI.  and  Marie  Antoinette, 
some  pictures  representing  the  latter  dancing  ballets 
with  her  brothers  and  sisters,  the  archdukes  and  arch- 
duchesses of  Austria.  The  Empress  Marie  Therese 
sent  these  pictures  to  her  daughter  to  remind  her  of 
her  childhood. 

[377] 


VERSAILLES 

The  adjoining  salon  Marie  Antoinette  made  into 
a  billiard-room:  and  this,  like  the  two  preceding 
rooms,  opens  on  to  a  large  flight  of  steps  leading  down 
to  a  little  French  garden  that  dates  from  the  time  of 
Louis  XV.  The  other  facades  overlook  the  Eng- 
lish garden. 

And  now  we  pass  into  the  large  salon.  The  carved 
panels  that  are  now  white  were  formerly  a  very  pale 
shade  of  bluish  green,  with  the  carvings  picked  out  in 
white  with  touches  of  gold;  the  design  being  com- 
posed of  garlands  of  wild  flowers,  and  branches  of 
lilies,  the  royal  flower,  surrounded  by  laurels.  The 
furniture  of  those  days  was  covered  with  crimson  silk 
and  gold  lace;  that  of  to-day  has  no  pretensions  save 
that  of  being  suitable  to  the  decoration  and  associa- 
tions of  the  place.  The  pianoforte,  it  is  plain,  did 
not  belong  to  the  Queen,  but  it  serves  to  remind  us 
of  the  musical  gatherings  of  Marie  Antoinette's  cir- 
cle, to  whom  she  sang  the  music  of  Mozart  and  Gre- 
try.  The  following  rooms,  the  boudoir,  bedroom,  and 
dressing-room,  are  in  the  entresol;  here  the  ceiling  is 
considerably  lower,  and  the  woodcarvings  executed 
for  Marie  Antoinette  are  remarkable  for  their  ex- 
treme delicacy.  They  consist  of  garlands  of  roses 
and  jasmine,  interspersed  with  doves,  crowns,  and 
quivers,  with  the  lyre  and  the  shield  of  fleurs-de-lys. 
On  the  pretty  marble  chimney-piece  there  is  a  bust 

[378] 


THE   PETIT  TRIANON 

of  Marie  Antoinette,  a  specimen  of  old  Sevres  china : 
some  of  the  furniture  in  the  bedroom  belonged  to  her, 
and  the  flowers  sewn  on  the  coverlet  must  have  been 
embroidered  for  one  of  her  beds,  since  her  cipher  and 
the  King's  appear  in  them. 

It  was  in  this  room  that  Marie  Antoinette  lay  ill  in 
the  spring  of  1779,  when  she  had  the  measles.  A 
few  months  after  the  birth  of  her  eldest  daughter, 
Madame  Royale,  the  doctors  ordered  her  to  leave  the 
palace  of  Versailles  while  she  was  recovering  her 
strength.  She  established  herself  at  Trianon  with 
her  whole  household,  and  violated  all  the  customs  of 
the  Court  by  accepting  four  gentlemen  as  sicknurses: 
her  friends  the  Due  de  Coigny,  the  Due  de  Guines, 
the  Comte  Eszterhazy,  and  the  Baron  de  Besenval. 
This  thoughtless  action,  in  which  the  Queen  saw  only 
an  innocent  amusement,  was  the  cause  of  a  great  deal 
of  comment  at  Court,  and  was  the  origin  of  the  mali- 
cious insinuations  against  her  which  became  so  com- 
mon later  on. 

She  grew  more  and  more  attached  to  her  country- 
house.  The  Princesses  of  the  Blood  spent  whole 
days  there,  and  the  King  joined  them  sometimes  on 
returning  from  the  chase.  The  Queen  showed  her- 
self to  be  an  accomplished  hostess,  desiring  only  to 
please  the  friends  she  was  entertaining.  "The 
Queen,"  says  an  eye-witness,  "  remained  sometimes 

[379] 


VERSAILLES 

for  a  month  at  a  time  at  the  Petit  Trianon,  and  had 
established  there  all  the  customs  of  country  life: 
when  she  entered  her  drawing-room  the  ladies  did 
not  leave  the  piano  nor  lay  down  their  needlework, 
the  men  did  not  break  off  their  game  of  billiards  or 
backgammon.  .  .  .  The  Queen  was  accompa- 
nied by  Madame  Elizabeth,  but  dispensed  with  the 
ladies  of  honour  and  the  ladies  of  the  Palace.  The 
invited  visitors  arrived  from  Versailles  in  time  for 
dinner.  The  King  and  the  princes  came  to  supper 
regularly.  A  dress  of  white  muslin,  a  gauze  fichu, 
and  a  straw  hat — such  was  the  whole  attire  of  the 
princesses." 

!Among  the  pastimes  of  Trianon  we  must  not  for- 
get the  merry-go-round  that  was  set  up  on  the  lawn, 
under  the  shade  of  a  pavilion  in  the  Chinese  style. 
But  the  most  popular  occupation  of  all  was  walking 
in  the  gardens:  no  one  ever  wearied  of  the  endless 
variety  of  this  carefully  tended  garden,  whose  praises 
were  sung  by  the  Prince  de  Ligne,  a  good  judge  of  a 
garden  and  a  friend  of  the  Queen.  When  the  latter 
was  absent  she  allowed  strangers  to  visit  the  place, 
which  they  were  very  glad  to  do,  and  the  gardener 
Richard  proudly  showed  them  the  Chinese  and 
American  trees  he  was  trying  to  acclimatise,  and  the 
pines,  larches,  and  junipers  that  he  had  brought  from 
the  Alps  himself. 

[380] 


THE  PETIT  TRIANON 
Sometimes  fetes  were  held  at  Trianon,  and  the 
doors  were  opened  to  large  numbers  of  guests.  Such, 
for  instance,  were  the  occasions  when  Marie  An- 
toinette gave  magnificent  receptions  to  her  brother 
the  Emperor  Joseph  II.  during  his  visit  to  France; 
to  the  hereditary  prince  of  Russia  and  the  Grand- 
duchess  Marie,  who  travelled  under  the  name  of  the 
Comte  and  Comtesse  du  Nord;  and  finally  to  the 
King  of  Sweden,  Gustav  III.  Three  hundred  guests 
were  then  invited  to  supper;  a  thousand  attendants 
were  lodged  in  the  dependencies  of  the  chateau ;  the 
bands  of  the  French  and  Swiss  Guards  played  in  the 
gardens,  where  the  guests  walked  among  the  illu- 
minations that  lit  up  the  shrubberies  discreetly,  and 
made  the  Temple  of  Love  the  most  brilliant  spot  in 
the  garden. 

Knowing  the  taste  for  the  stage  that  then  prevailed, 
we  can  well  believe  that  Marie  Antoinette  wished  to 
add  a  theatre  to  her  house.  She  had  it  built  in  1780, 
and  often  sent  for  the  troupes  of  the  Parisian  theatre. 
This  resulted  in  extravagances  and  expenses  that 
caused  her  to  be  much  inveighed  against,  especially 
when  the  national  finances  began  to  be  seriously  em- 
barrassed. Marie  Antoinette  incurred  no  less  dis- 
approval by  appearing  on  the  stage  herself,  and  act- 
ing a  play  with  her  brother-in-law,  the  Comte 
d'Artois,  and  Madame  de  Polignac's  set.  She  was, 

[381] 


VERSAILLES 

however,  indulging  in  a  very  harmless  pleasure  be- 
fore a  very  limited  public,  and  often  in  the  King's 
presence.  She  performed  the  fashionable  plays  and 
comic  operas,  and  the  last  she  took  part  in  was  Beau- 
marchais's  Barber  of  Seville. 

No  visitor  ever  omitted  to  repair  to  the  further  end 
of  the  park  of  Little  Trianon,  there  to  inspect  the 
group  of  rustic  houses  that  formed  Marie  Antoinette's 
Hamlet.  The  design  and  arrangement  of  these 
charming  little  houses  were  most  carefully  thought 
out  by  the  Queen's  experts  in  rural  architecture,  in 
order  to  ensure  the  most  picturesque  and  pleasing 
views.  The  best  view  of  the  principal  houses  re- 
flected in  the  water  is  to  be  obtained  by  walking  round 
the  lake. 

The  building  of  the  Hamlet,  which  was  finished  in 
1786,  was  the  last  flight  of  Marie  Antoinette's 
imagination.  It  is  in  accordance  with  the  taste  of 
the  time,  which  tended  towards  the  life  of  the  fields, 
and  opposed  the  simplicity  of  rustic  manners  to  the 
luxury  and  artificiality  of  the  life  of  towns.  The 
princesses,  who  were  always  surrounded  by  courtiers 
and  lackeys,  must  have  taken  a  real  pleasure  in  draw- 
ing closer  to  the  humble  folk  whom  they  had  only 
seen  in  the  far  distance,  in  watching  them  attending 
to  their  various  pursuits,  and  in  studying  their 
opinions  and  their  simple  language.  For  the  Ham- 

[382] 


THE   PETIT  TRIANON 

let  was  occupied  by  several  rustic  households,  who 
lived  on  the  spot  and  carried  on  real  farming  opera- 
tions. The  Queen  established  there  the  families  of  a 
farmer,  a  gardener,  and  a  keeper.  The  farm,  which 
stands  a  little  aloof,  and  is  approached  by  a  private 
way,  contained  a  splendid  herd  of  Swiss  cows,  as  well 
as  calves,  sheep,  goats,  pigs,  and  rabbits.  There  was 
a  large  poultry-yard  and  a  dairy  supplied  by  the 
milk  from  the  farm;  some  of  the  milk  was  taken  to 
the  Queen's  dairy,  where  she  sometimes  amused  her- 
self, with  her  friends,  in  making  butter  and  cheese 
under  the  direction  of  the  farmer's  wife.  The  mill, 
moreover,  which  apparently  was  only  made  with  a 
view  to  the  picturesque,  was  used  for  grinding  corn. 

It  was  an  innocent  amusement  for  the  Queen  and 
her  children  to  watch  the  work  of  this  little  demesne. 
There  was  even  in  the  middle  of  the  Hamlet  a  little 
dwelling  for  the  royal  family,  larger  and  more  orna- 
mental than  the  other  houses.  It  was  tastefully  fur- 
nished, and  they  often  dined  in  it;  the  kitchens  oc- 
cupied a  separate  house  at  the  back.  An  outer  gal- 
lery, entirely  covered  with  Virginia  creeper,  united 
the  Queen's  House  with  the  billiard-house;  in  the 
latter  the  billiard-room  was  on  the  ground  floor,  and 
the  little  sitting-room  on  the  first  storey  contained  a 
library. 

The  Queen  also  had  at  her  disposal  a  little  house 

[383] 


VERSAILLES 

called  the  boudoir,  the  interior  of  which  was  very 
dainty.  The  Queen's  private  'dairy  was  all  faced 
with  marble.  The  little  belvedere  attached  to  it, 
overlooking  the  lake,  was  called  Marlborough's 
Tower,  in  allusion  to  a  popular  French  song:  it  was 
approached  by  an  outside  staircase,  bright  with  stocks 
and  geraniums. 

No  credence  must  be  given  to  the  numerous  legends 
that  are  rife  on  the  subject  of  the  Hamlet,  such  as  that 
which  shows  us  the  royal  family  playing  at  shepherds 
and  shepherdesses,  and  assuming  various  rustic  char- 
acters in  order  to  live  in  the  Hamlet.  This  is  a 
ridiculous  fable.  Marie  Antoinette  never  played  at 
keeping  farm,  and  the  King  never  disguised  himself 
as  a  miller;  but  it  is  a  sufficiently  piquant  sight  to  see 
them  interesting  themselves  so  intimately  in  agricul- 
tural labour,  and  seeking  recreation  and  rest  amid 
these  rustic  surroundings. 

The  visitor  to  the  Hamlet  of  Trianon  must  surely 
be  deeply  touched  by  such  memories  as  these,  and 
must  wish  these  fragile  little  houses  to  be  carefully 
preserved.  Their  thatched  roofs  and  their  appear- 
ance of  absolute  simplicity  are  an  evidence  of  the 
taste  of  the  period  immediately  preceding  the  French 
Revolution,  and  form  an  interesting  contrast  with  the 
splendours  of  the  neighbouring  palace  of  Versailles. 

[384] 


University  of  California 

SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 

Return  this  material  to  the  library 

from  which  it  was  borrowed. 


LD-URt 

OCT021388 

MAY  3  o  1989  • 


OCT  1  6  1995 

QUARTER'LOA 

'      f 


A     000025000     1 


